2 Hours / 2 CEs

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Traditional Forms of Community Supervision and Interventions Offered is presented by Jennifer Eno Louden, 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 reviews the basics of probation and parole- the two main forms of community corrections supervision in the U.S. There is a general discussion of the programs that have been developed for community corrections clients with mental illness, such as specialty mental health probation caseloads. The research on the effectiveness of these interventions will be presented, along with a discussion of the role of mental health professionals in such programs. 

This program is geared toward all audiences who are interested in or thinking about providing mental health services to clients on community corrections. The most likely audience would be those who provide mental health services in the community, but those who work in correctional settings may also be interested. 

Learning Objectives

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

  • 1 Describe the common forms of community supervision (i.e., probation and parole) along with the similarities and differences between these forms
  • 2 Describe common interventions used in community corrections for clients with serious mental illness

  • Intended Audience

    This training is designed for mental health professionals who provide services to individuals under community corrections supervision. It is particularly relevant for those specializing in psychology, social work, counseling, or related mental health fields, and addresses the unique challenges faced by clients navigating probation, parole, or other community corrections programs. The training equips professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to support the mental health needs of clients involved in these settings.

    Examples of Relevant Professionals:

    • Mental Health Professionals
    • Psychologists
    • Social Workers
    • Counselors
    • Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs)
    • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs)
    • Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs)
    • Substance Use Counselors
    • Case Managers
    • Behavioral Health Specialists

  • Experience Level

    This training is appropriate for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals at various stages of experience with community corrections and mental health interventions.

    • Beginner: Participants are new to the concepts of probation, parole, and community corrections, and have limited or no prior experience working with justice-involved individuals with mental illness.

    • Intermediate: Participants have some experience providing mental health services to clients in community or correctional settings and are familiar with basic interventions, but seek to deepen their understanding of specialized programs and research in this area.

  • Practice Setting

    Practitioners work in community-based behavioral health environments that collaborate closely with community corrections to provide assessment, therapy, case management, and care coordination for clients under supervision. They operate within integrated justice-health settings and multidisciplinary teams, using in-person, mobile, and telehealth modalities and interfacing with correctional institutions for reentry planning when needed.

    Examples of Practice Settings:

    • Community mental health clinics and outpatient behavioral health centers
    • Co-located services within probation or parole offices
    • Specialty mental health probation caseload programs
    • Problem-solving or mental health court treatment teams
    • Reentry and transition services bridging jail/prison to community
    • Substance use treatment programs and recovery centers
    • Mobile crisis teams and street outreach programs
    • Telehealth services for supervised clients
    • Supportive housing or shelter-based behavioral health services
Presented By

Jennifer Eno Louden, PhD

Jennifer Eno Louden, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology at The University of Texas at El Paso where she leads the Mental Health and Criminal Justice Lab. Her research draws on clinical, social, and correctional psychological methods to identify best practices in the criminal legal system for the assessment and treatment of underserved justice-involved people, particularly people with mental illness. Dr. Eno Louden’s past research has focused on topics such as mental health screening in corrections settings, community corrections supervision for clients with mental illness, and the stigma of mental illness and criminal legal involvement. In 2019, Dr. Eno Louden won the best paper award from the journal Psychological Services. Dr. Eno Louden’s research has been funded by the National Institute of Justice and the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, among others. She has chaired both the Corrections Committee and the Professional Development of Women Committee of the American Psychology-Law Society. She currently serves as the representative from the American Psychological Association's Division 18 (Psychologists in Public Service) to the APA Science Directorate and as an associate editor for Criminal Justice and Behavior. 

Training Outline

Key topics covered in this training include:

  • Overview of community corrections
    -Probation vs. parole
    -Similarities and differences

  • Programs developed for community corrections clients with serious mental illness
    -Specialty mental health probation
    -FACT
    -Others

  • The role of clinicians in community corrections programs
    -Mandated treatment: what does this mean for clinicians?
    -Dual role relationships in mandated treatment

    -Case vignette—client not attending mandated treatment


  • What helps clients succeed in community corrections

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).


Sponsorship Approval Statements

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), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7190. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Palo Alto University, #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. Palo Alto University 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. Continuing and Professional Studies, Palo Alto University, is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0103. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT), 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. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies, is recognized by 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.