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An estimated 1 in 69 adult U.S. residents were under community supervision at the end of 2021 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023). Community supervision of justice involved individuals is an important component of the criminal justice system. This course equips Colorado parole officers, probation officers, and community correction workers with knowledge and skills to identify and address the behavioral health needs of individuals under supervision. Parole officers, probation officers, and community correction workers will examine how utilizing the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model in combination with tailoring supervision strategies can reduce recidivism. By leveraging community health resources alongside the RNR Model, officers can more accurately match individuals to appropriate services, reduce recidivism, and support safer, more successful transitions back into the community. This course will have an emphasis on identifying the Need and Responsivity Principles for effective matching of services and resources. Topics include recognizing co-occurring mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and applying trauma-informed care strategies. Upon conclusion of the course, participants will be better prepared to promote recovery in community supervision settings.

Mental and substance use disorders are more prevalent among persons in jails than they are in the general population, and people with severe mental illnesses are several times more likely to be found in jails than in hospitals. In Colorado, reports suggest that more than 50% of people in county jails have a serious mental illness. Nationwide, estimates suggest that approximately a million persons with behavioral health conditions are encountered by correctional staff across jails and prisons on any given day, and several million each year. Both people with and without behavioral health conditions exhibit appreciable rates of criminal recidivism following release from incarceration, and those with substance use disorders or co-occurring (substance use and mental) disorders tend to display the highest rates of recidivism.

The Risk–Need–Responsivity model (RNR) is a promising framework for reducing criminal recidivism in this population. This course equips Colorado clinicians in jail and outpatient settings with the awareness and knowledge needed to commit to RNR’s overarching and organizational principles as a foundation for services poised to reduce recidivism. Participants will also examine how to use RNR’s core principles to inform services. Additionally, participants will examine RNR’s structured assessment, program delivery, and staff practices principles to further inform how and what to assess, decision-making about the intensity of services, and how to effectively interact with clients and maintain them in services. Upon conclusion, participants will be better prepared to synthesize the philosophy of RNR with the values of the behavioral health system.

Although there is a similar prevalence of behavioral health disorders in rural and urban areas, the obstacles to getting help are very different. This course explores why creating unrealistic discharge plans can result in rural patients being sent home with resources and services that are inaccessible or unavailable, increasing the risk of hospital readmission and worsening health outcomes.

Additionally, you will examine how unrealistic discharge plans can place additional strain on already overburdened and under-resourced rural providers, who may be forced to scramble for alternative resources or services for care they are not fully equipped to provide (Morales, 2020).

Upon conclusion, you will be better prepared to increase the feasibility of discharge plans for rural patients and improve your communication with rural healthcare providers; ultimately leading to improved transition of care and care coordination for individuals living in rural areas with behavioral health needs.

The United States admits millions of individuals to local jails and thousands to prisons each year (Mueller & Kluckow, 2025; Zeng, 2023). Many enter the system with behavioral health needs. Because these conditions often worsen without consistent treatment, effective reentry planning becomes essential. Yet only a portion of individuals receive coordinated support as they transition back into the community, leaving many without the treatment, medications, or follow-up care needed to stabilize their health and reduce their risk of returning to custody. For parole and probation officers, this raises an important reflection: how might outcomes improve when even one person has your guidance and support during reentry?

To build on the strong work you already do in this field, this course provides additional strategies to deepen support, strengthen connection, and help individuals move toward healthier futures. It also illustrates some of the real challenges people may experience during reentry.

As the population of older adults grows, behavioral health providers are increasingly caring for people with neurodegenerative diseases, cognitive impairment, and their caregivers. This course offers an overview of major neurodegenerative conditions, their clinical features and progression, their impact on mental health and behavior, and the role of interprofessional collaboration.