Self-Paced Training
1.5 Hours | 1.5 CEs
This on-demand professional training program on an Introduction to Correctional Mental Health is presented by Virginia Barber Rioja, PhD, and Ashley Batastini, PhD.
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 mental health, substance use, and trauma-related needs. In addition, criminogenic needs must be addressed to reduce reoffending risk.
The US correctional system provides 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 introductory program provides an overview of the US correctional system, ethical considerations for clinical practice, best practices in assessment and treatment, and the current state of correctional research.
This program would be appropriate for individuals wanting to work with incarcerated clients in jails or prisons, including Students, early career, or professionals who want more background in correctional mental health.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this course you will be able to:
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Describe the role of mental health services in jails and prisons
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Describe common evidence-based assessment and treatment practices in jails and prisons
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Describe the current state of correctional mental health research
Presented By
Virginia Barber-Riojas, PhD
Dr. Virginia Barber-Riojas 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.
PhD
Ashley Batastini, PhD
Dr. Ashley Batastini earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Texas Tech University and is currently an Associate Professor in the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science at Swinburne University of Technology. Her research emphasis is broadly at the intersection between the mental health and criminal legal systems. More specifically, Dr. Batastini’s work focuses on novel intervention strategies for high-risk populations and ways to improve access to appropriate services at all levels of legal involvement. Her work has been funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration and the American Psychological Foundation. In 2019, Dr. Batastini received the Early Career Achievement Award given by Division 18 (Psychologists in Public Service) of the American Psychological Association. And in 2022, she received the Saleem Shah Early Career Achievement award from Division 41 (The American Psychology-Law Society). Dr. Batastini is also a licensed psychologist in Mississippi and Tennessee who specializes in criminal forensic mental health evaluations.