1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Food Insecurity: Clinical and Forensic Mental Health Considerations is presented by Jerrod Brown, PhD.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts towards a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Integrated Behavioral Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials with prospective employers and colleagues.

Food insecurity, a pressing public health crisis, intersects significantly in clinical, forensic, and behavioral health settings. Recognizing and addressing this issue is crucial, as individuals facing food insecurity are more susceptible to a spectrum of cognitive, emotional, and physical health challenges. Food insecurity is also a factor to consider within the context of criminality and forensic mental health populations. 

This program overviews the impact of food insecurity on clinical and forensic mental health populations. It provides a thorough understanding of its implications for intake processes, effective screening, and intervention strategies. The session is anchored by empirically based research findings, shedding light on the complex interplay between food insecurity and mental health.

This program is specifically designed for Psychologists, Social Workers, Counselors, and other mental health professionals engaged in clinical and forensic settings. It offers valuable insights and practical tools for those dedicated to understanding and mitigating the consequences of food insecurity on mental health.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe food insecurity and other related constructs
  • 2 Describe the impact food insecurity has on cognition, behavior, mood, and physical health
  • 3 Describe the clinical and forensic mental health aspects of food insecurity
  • 4 Describe intake, screening, and intervention strategies through a clinical and forensic mental health lens
  • 5 Describe empirically based research findings as it pertains to the clinical and forensic mental health aspects of food insecurity

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals who work in both clinical and forensic environments. It is tailored to those specializing in clinical mental health, forensic psychology, or behavioral health, and who provide assessment, intervention, or consultation services where clinical and forensic issues intersect.


    Examples of Relevant Professionals:
    • Psychologists (clinical and forensic)
    • Social Workers (behavioral health and forensic roles)
    • Counselors (mental health, clinical, and forensic counselors)
    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Other professionals working in clinical or forensic mental health settings

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for mental health professionals at various stages of experience in clinical and forensic settings.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to the topic of food insecurity in mental health and seek foundational knowledge about its definitions, prevalence, and basic impacts on clinical and forensic populations.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience addressing social determinants of health and are looking to deepen their understanding of food insecurity’s effects on cognition, behavior, and mood, as well as to enhance their skills in screening and intervention strategies.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners operate in clinical, behavioral health, and forensic environments that bridge healthcare and justice systems, delivering assessment, intervention, and consultation where mental health and legal issues intersect. These settings emphasize trauma-informed, culturally responsive care with structured intake, screening for social determinants (including food insecurity), and coordinated collaboration with courts, corrections, healthcare teams, and community services.


    Examples of Practice Settings:
    • Community mental health centers
    • Hospital-based psychiatry (inpatient and outpatient)
    • Integrated primary care/behavioral health clinics
    • Forensic assessment and court clinics
    • Jails, prisons, and detention facilities
    • Probation, parole, and reentry programs
    • Specialty problem-solving courts (mental health, drug, veterans)
    • Homeless shelters and supportive housing programs

Presented By

Jerrod Brown, PhD Pathways Counseling Center, Inc.

Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma, and other life adversities, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuropsychology, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). Jerrod has also conducted over 200 workshops, webinars, and on-demand training for various organizations and professional and student audiences. In 2021, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. Currently, Jerrod is pursuing a graduate certificate in Neuroscience and Law from Michigan State University. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters and recently co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf, 2018) with Erv Weinkauf. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Jerrod Brown, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Introduction to Food Insecurity
    - Public health crisis and prevalence
    - Relevance to clinical, forensic, and behavioral health settings

  • Impact on Mental and Physical Health
    - Cognitive, emotional, and physical health consequences
    - Food insecurity in the context of criminality and forensic populations

  • Practice Implications
    - Considerations for intake processes
    - Effective screening approaches
    - Intervention strategies to address food insecurity

  • Research Foundations
    - Empirically based findings on food insecurity and mental health
    - Complex interplay between food insecurity and psychosocial outcomes

  • Target Audience and Applications
    - Designed for psychologists, social workers, counselors, and other mental health professionals
    - Practical tools for mitigating the consequences of food insecurity

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.