1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Gender and Correction is presented by Alix McLearen, PhD.

This badge-earning program can be shared digitally on platforms like LinkedIn or your resume and counts toward a certificate. Enroll in this program to earn credit towards the Correctional Mental Health Certificate and share your new digital credentials.

This program is designed to be of interest to a broad range of participants ranging from mental health practitioners to criminal justice students to newer prison and jail employees. Historically, the justice system did little to address different gender needs, but as the science of corrections has evolved, data has been to show women enter the system via different mechanisms than men and, therefore, benefit from different approaches while incarcerated. An overview of different management and treatment modalities is discussed.

This program would be of great interest to students at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Mental health professionals at any level with limited corrections experience would also be interested. Finally, correctional officers or other justice professionals like attorneys may be interested.

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the role of gender in correctional practices currently and historically
  • 2 Describe women's pathways into and exit strategies from the justice system
  • 3 Describe best practices for treatment and management of women in carceral settings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for individuals at any stage of their career who are interested in or currently working within the corrections field, with a focus on mental health and gender-responsive approaches for incarcerated women. The content is especially relevant for professionals and students in psychology, social work, counseling, law, and criminal justice. Participants will gain essential knowledge about treatment modalities and best practices for supporting women in correctional settings, including prisons, jails, and community-based programs.

  • Experience Level

    • Open to all experience levels:
    • Students and interns

    • Entry-level and early-career professionals

    • Mid-career professionals transitioning to corrections or mental health roles

    • Experienced practitioners seeking specialized knowledge in gender-responsive approaches

  • Practice Setting

    Custom Bullet List
    • Students pursuing degrees in psychology, social work, counseling, law, or criminal justice
    • Early-career professionals entering the corrections or mental health fields
    • Experienced professionals new to corrections or working with incarcerated women
    • Psychologists, social workers, and counselors working in:
      • Prisons and jails
      • Correctional programs (community-based or institutional)
      • Academic or research settings focused on criminal justice or mental health
    • Legal professionals and advocates interested in gender-responsive correctional practices

Presented By

Alix McLearen, PhD, CEO, AMM Solutions

Dr. Alix M. McLearen is a clinical psychologist, retired federal law enforcement officer, and experienced executive. Her expertise in corrections and leadership is derived from decades of government service with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She served as the agency's first national administrator for women and special populations then went on to oversee BOP's Reentry Services Division, ensuring intervention, education, and transition services across 122 facilities and 200 hundred community reentry centers. In 2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Dr. McLearen to lead the National Institute of Corrections. In this role she led the advancement of public safety by shaping and enhancing correctional policies and practices across 750,000 professionals in local, state, and federal systems. As the CEO of AMM Solutions, LLC she now serves as an expert witness and consultant.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Alix McLearen, PhD

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • History of prison and gender

  • Current status

  • Pathways

  • Needs and strengths

  • Gender-responsive management

  • Gender-responsive treatment

  • Reentry and moving forward

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.
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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.