EQUIP is a multicomponent treatment programme, suitable for people with learning disabilities and/or autism, who have offended, whatever type of offence they committed. It specifically attempts to improve social perspective taking and social skills, while reducing problematic attitudes and beliefs about criminal offending.
The programme comprises two types of treatment sessions:
a) Mutual Help Meetings, and
b) Equipment Meetings.
Mutual Help Meetings
Mutual Help Meetings provide a forum for participants to discuss their difficulties within a framework that allows for an appropriate resolution, using problem solving skills. Group members are encouraged to report problems and problematic attitudes and beliefs about criminal offending, or “thinking errors”, that have occurred since the last meeting and one individual is chosen collaboratively by the group to discuss his/her problem in greater depth.
The group is provided with a list of “12 potential problems” that they may have or may develop, which is used as a reference, to aid participants’ understanding of their difficulties. The group works together to actively solve this problem, while paying attention to the type of problem and the thinking errors experienced.
Equipment Meetings
Equipment Meetings are “active treatment” meetings comprising three different types of sessions:
a) anger management and thinking error correction,
b) social skills training, and
c) social decision-making training.
There are 30 sessions spread equally across these three domains. Anger management and thinking error correction involves psychoeducation about anger, and the teaching of skills to manage anger more effectively, including relaxation training. Cognitive strategies for challenging thinking errors are also taught and practiced. Social skills training involves the active teaching of skills that would be required within a variety of social situations, including difficult situations (e.g., expressing a complaint, keeping out of fights, dealing constructively with someone who is angry at you). Finally, social decision-making aims to enhance socio-perspective taking, cultivating sociomoral development, through a process of guided peer discussion and debate about problem situations.
Prof Langdon has been researching the use of EQUIP with people with learning disabilities (see Research page).
We hope to provide training on the use of EQUIP in the near future.