Special Commitment Center employee appointed to key state board
Dominic Winter’s recent election to a key position on statewide board marks a big change for the organization and gives an opportunity for a key member of the Special Commitment Center to influence sex offender treatment throughout Washington.
Winter, the SCC community program administrator, was selected president-elect of the Washington Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, which aims to protect communities, prevent sexual assault and eliminate sexual victimization.
The president-elect role is akin to vice president of the statewide chapter and is often first in line to be the next president. Winter is the first non-clinician to be chosen for the role.
“That was not really where I felt I was at yet,” he said. “I was trying to find my place in terms of being a board member and contributing where I could.”
Although Winter is fairly new to BHA, having joined the administration in August, he is not new to working with people who have committed sexual offenses. He previously served as a corrections specialist with the Department of Corrections and supervised SCC residents who were on conditional release. While with DOC he helped facilitate meetings with agency representatives, community stakeholders and providers to identify ways to work better together to both enhance the lives of the people they treat and protect the community.
“I saw the need for changes in the program, especially for evidence-based practices in the supervision program: What are we supervising, why and how is it impacting community safety?” Winter said. “That led to a larger role with workgroups for barriers to discharge.”
Dr. Holly Coryell, the forensic services chief at SCC, served two terms as president of WATSA. She has worked with Winter through the nonprofit and now at SCC and has seen several qualities in him that will help improve treatment for offenders and improve safety for the community.
“He continues to promote collaboration, communication and greater understanding between different agencies and stakeholders that are tasked with the important work of providing treatment to the individuals, and ensuring the community is safe as the individual obtains greater freedom to move independently in the community,” Coryell said.
Coryell said Winter’s election as president-elect shows that the members of the WATSA board see him as someone who can help the organization have a greater impact in Washington.
“This for the WATSA organization is significant,” Coryell said. “I’ve been a member for about 20 years, and I have no knowledge of a non-clinical person being in the president or president-elect role. It speaks to him as a person and a professional and his ethics and commitment to this important work that must involve all pieces.
“The diversity of the WATSA board in moving from primarily including clinical providers enriches us as an organization. It enables a more inclusive, broader review and look at the work that needs to be done for this population.”
“Being a part of WATSA is just another platform where I can liaise between the entities that are involved in that reintegration process both within DSHS as well as the Department of Corrections,” he said. “I think that part of the reason why there was a show of faith that I could be a leader in the organization is that I’ve shown an understanding of the institutional barriers and what it is to understand treatment concepts.”