Course Summary
People with mental illness deserve adequate, effective treatment that addresses their needs and helps them remain in their communities. National estimates suggest almost half of people in jail (44%) report having a previous mental health diagnosis, and 26% showed symptoms of serious psychological distress within the last month (SAHMSA, 2024). These numbers may be even higher in Colorado, with reports suggesting that more than 50% of people in Colorado county jails have a serious mental illness (Boulder County Reporting Lab, 2023).
This course equips Colorado clinicians working in jails with the awareness and knowledge required to better meet the needs of their caseload and enhance behavioral health services for individuals who are incarcerated with mental illness. Jail clinicians will examine how treating criminogenic risk factors in combination with mental illness can improve antisocial thinking and behavior patterns, ultimately reducing future involvement in the legal system and psychiatric hospitalizations.
This course will emphasize therapeutic and group therapy elements and describe the clinical considerations for effectively treating criminogenic risk factors in combination with mental illness. Upon completion, you will be better prepared to apply interventions based on empirical evidence in jail settings.
Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Apply interventions to treat criminogenic risk in combination with mental illness.
- Apply therapeutic elements to treat criminogenic risk in combination with mental illness.
- Apply group therapy elements to treat criminogenic risk in combination with mental illness.
Learning Audience
This course is designed for Colorado behavioral health clinicians who work in jail settings.
Continuing Education Credits
This course is eligible for Continued Education Units (CEU) upon completion, which are awarded as follows:
- 1 CE credit awarded per (1) hour of completed learning
Questions about CEU credits?
Course Duration
Content Contributors
- Dr. Faith Scanlon, PhD. Massachusetts General Hospital / Harvard Medical School
