4 Hours / 4 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Correctional Mental Health is presented by Virginia Barber-Rioja, Ph.D., and Ashley Batastini, Ph.D.

The U.S. incarcerates far more people than any other country in the world. The incarcerated population is overrepresented by people of color, LGBTQ persons, and people with extensive behavioral health needs, including mental health, substance use, and trauma-related disorders. Specifically, individuals with mental illness account for a significantly large proportion of those incarcerated, making jails the largest psychiatric treatment facilities in the country. 

The US correctional system provides plenty of opportunities for mental health professionals to contribute their science as clinicians, researchers, and policy advocates. Adequate mental health interventions are essential to prevent suicide and violence, mitigate stress, and overall increase the chances of rehabilitation and recovery. However, the delivery of mental health services in correctional settings is challenging, and resources are often limited. Furthermore, even though mental health practice and research in correctional settings require specialized knowledge, correctional clinicians, administrators, and scholars have few resources to guide their practice. 

This program provides an overview of the practice of correctional mental health. The program starts with an overview of the US. The correctional system, including the difference between jails and prisons and different systems of incarceration (e.g., state, federal, immigration, military). The program reviews the different competencies required for clinical practice and research in jails and prisons, including screening and assessment, treatment, management of suicidal and violent behaviors, and ethical issues and professional values. This program is primarily based on didactic content. However, for selected topics, the presenters incorporate case studies. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe the U.S correctional system and the overrepresentation of individuals with behavioral health issues within this system
  • 2 Describe the different roles that mental health professionals can play within the US correctional system
  • 3 Describe the different competencies required to practice correctional mental health and to conduct research in jails/prisons
  • 4 Describe the ethical and legal issues involved in the practice of correctional mental health

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for individuals seeking to deepen their knowledge and skills in correctional mental health, including those interested in or currently working in forensic psychology, correctional mental health, or criminal justice–related behavioral health. It is ideal for early- to mid-career professionals, students, academics, researchers, administrators, and policy professionals who are interested in advancing their expertise, conducting research, or advocating for improved practices in correctional mental health.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Student (undergraduate or graduate)
    • Academic
    • Researcher
    • Administrator
    • Policy Professional

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for early-career and pre-licensed mental health professionals seeking foundational knowledge and skills in correctional mental health practice and research.

    Beginner:
    Participants are new to correctional mental health, may have limited or no direct experience working in jails or prisons, and are seeking an introduction to the U.S. correctional system, the overrepresentation of behavioral health needs among incarcerated populations, and the core competencies required for clinical and research roles in these settings.

    Pre-licensed/Student:
    Participants may be students or trainees interested in pursuing practicum, internship, or research opportunities in correctional settings and require a comprehensive overview of ethical, legal, and multicultural considerations relevant to this field.

  • Practice Setting

    Professionals who complete this training typically work in environments where behavioral health intersects with the criminal justice system. These settings are often secure, highly regulated, and resource-limited, requiring specialized knowledge to address the complex mental health needs of incarcerated individuals. Work may take place within correctional facilities such as jails and prisons, or in academic, research, administrative, or policy environments focused on correctional mental health. The practice setting is characterized by multidisciplinary collaboration, ethical and legal considerations, and a focus on both individual care and systemic improvement.

    • Correctional facilities (jails, prisons, detention centers)
    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or units
    • Community reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals
    • University research centers focused on criminal justice or behavioral health
    • Government agencies overseeing correctional health services
    • Policy organizations advocating for criminal justice and mental health reform
    • Administrative offices within correctional health systems

Presented By

Virginia Barber-Rioja, PhD, Clinical Director of EAC Network’s Brooklyn

Dr. Virginia Barber-Rioja earned her Ph.D to the Clinical Psychology at John Jay Training Area, a discipline within the Graduate Center’s PhD Program in Psychology, in 2009. Upon graduation, she became the Clinical Director of Queens TASC Mental Health Diversion program, an alternative to incarceration program that works in collaboration with the Queens Mental Health Court, the District Attorney’s office and the defense bar. In this position, she helped reshape the program into a clinically informed diversion program that utilized testing and evidence-based risk assessments to aid the courts with eligibility decisions. She subsequently worked for three years as an attending psychologist in the Forensic Inpatient Unit of Bellevue Hospital Center, which provides treatment and assessment to incarcerated individuals with acute psychiatric conditions. In 2012, Dr. Barber Rioja became the Clinical Director of EAC Network’s Brooklyn and Staten Island court mental health diversion programs and jail and prison re-entry programs. In this job, she helped developed the Staten Island Mental Health Court, as well as a prison re-entry program for individuals with Severe Mental Illness.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Virginia Barber-Rioja, PhD

Presented By

Ashley Batastini, PhD, Associate Professor in the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science at Swinburne University of Technology

Ashley Batastini is an Associate Professor in the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science at Swinburne University of Technology. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Texas Tech University in the United States in 2015. Her work focuses on developing novel intervention strategies for higher-risk populations, improving access to appropriate interventions at various stages of criminal legal involvement, and addressing systemic factors within the carceral setting that can diminish the efficacy of interventions. Her research often considers ways to integrate technology into forensic and correctional mental health services. Beyond her research interests, Dr. Batastini has clinical expertise in conducting forensic mental health evaluations.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Ashley Batastini, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction to the US Correctional System:
    -Jails vs. prisons and different systems of incarceration
    -Mass incarceration
    -Overrepresentation of behavioral health issues in incarcerated individuals
    -Constitutional rights to treatment of incarcerated individuals

  • Roles of mental health professionals in jails/prisons

  • Correctional mental health: relevant areas of competency
    -Screening and assessment
    -Treatment
    -Management of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and other suicidal behaviors
    -Management of disruptive/violent behaviors
    -Management of substance use disorders
    -management of trauma-related clinical presentations

  • Restrictive housing

  • Multicultural, structural, and racial inequality considerations

  • Ethical and legal issues

  • Research and advocacy

Earning a Certificate

This is a badge-earning program, which means it will help you earn a certificate that can be showcased on digital platforms like LinkedIn.
View Certificates

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.