A Montco College Instructor Has Been Named To The PA Sexual Offenders Assessment Board

ABINGTON, PA — A faculty member from Penn State Abington's campus has been appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf to a four-year term on the state Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, which is the panel that helps the court system determine whether or not an individual should be classified as a Sexually Violent Predator.

The suburban college on Tuesday announced the appointment of Lavetsky, who chairs the rehabilitation and human services degree program at Penn State Abington.

Lavetsky, who began his work with juvenile sex offenders after earning his bachelor's degree in criminal justice, said he has been impressed by the board's leadership since he was named to the body.

"It has been a really collaborative process, and it is extremely rewarding," he said in a statement.

The board has about 50 other members statewide.

As part of his work, Lavetsky is responsible for reviewing hundreds of pages of documentation, including presentencing reports, and he applies risk assessment tools to each of the cases he is assigned, to determine whether or not a person should be deemed a Sexually Violent Predator.

Lavetsky's determination is then provided to the courts.

Lavetsky has a master's degree in counselor education and is a licensed professional counselor in three states, is a certified school guidance counselor in two states and is a nationally certified counselor, according to Penn State Abington.

His first job out of school, the university stated, was working at a facility for adjudicated juveniles.

"I kept an open mind, and I had an affinity for working with a population that has a huge stigma attached to it," he stated. "When I lived in Florida, I was one of the few people in that state to treat this population."

According to the Pennsylvania Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, if an individual is deemed to be a Sexually Violent Predator, they are subject to a lifetime registration with the Pennsylvania State Police, lifetime sexual offender counseling and community notification.

More can be learned here.