2025 ACA 155th Congress of Correction Denver_Program Book

Developing an Inmate Volunteer Caregiver Program within the Prison System to Assist the Terminally Ill and Geriatric Populations [CE|CEU] Primary Community of Focus: Adult Corrections Room: 109 Overview: The aging prison population presents unique end-of-life care challenges, with inmates 55 and older now comprising 15% of incarcerated individuals. Our innovative program trains inmates as hospice caregivers to address gaps in patient support. Through a comprehensive training curriculum covering medical, emotional and spiritual care, we enable inmates to use their deep understanding of prison culture to provide compassionate support for terminally ill and elderly prisoners, allowing them to gain purpose and healing while their peers receive support for end-of-life care. Rigorous inmate selection, ongoing training and strict confidentiality protocols ensure a dignified, patient-centered approach to hospice care within correctional settings. Learning Objectives: • Develop a Comprehensive Training Framework: Design a rigorous, trauma-informed curriculum that equips incarcerated volunteers with the clinical, emotional and ethical skills necessary to provide high-quality end-of-life supportive care, addressing the unique challenges of the prison healthcare environment. • Establish Robust Inmate Selection and Support Protocols: Create a systematic approach to identifying, screening and supporting inmate volunteers that prioritizes patient safety, psychological rehabilitation

comprehensive, compassionate and ethically sound hospice care within correctional settings. Moderator: Shekena Peoples , M.A., MHA, Division Director of Community Medical Outreach, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Columbia, South Carolina Speaker 1: Shekena Peoples , M.A., MHA, LPC, CCHP, CMHFA, CTCT, Division Director of Community Medical Outreach, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Columbia, South Carolina Speaker 2: Daniel Mullins , BSN, RN, CCHP, CCNM, Chief Medical Administrator, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Columbia, South Carolina Speaker 3: Wanda Sermons , RN, CCHP, Division Director of Nursing, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Columbia, South Carolina Mental Health Emergencies and Medical Mimicry [ Y CE|CE|CME] Primary Community of Focus: Adult Corrections|Prisons Room: 111 Overview: Mental Health emergencies are an unfortunately frequent occurrence in the correctional arena. However, not everything that looks like a mental health emergency is a mental health emergency. Assuming everything is as it seems may delay appropriate medical treatment with potentially catastrophic consequences. This workshop is intended to help not only identify the mental health emergency but also consider causes other than psychosis which can cause or contribute to the emergency. Learning Objectives: • Define what constitutes a mental health emergency. • Identify the most common mental health emergencies in the correctional setting. • Understand medical illnesses which may masquerade as mental health emergencies and become familiar with how to tell the difference.

WORKSHOPS Sunday, Aug. 24 ▼ 10–11:30 a.m.

and the cultivation of empathy, while maintaining strict institutional security standards.

• Implement an Interdisciplinary Governance Model: Construct a collaborative oversight structure that integrates correctional staff, medical professionals, mental health experts and trained inmate volunteers to ensure

98 — ACA 155 th Congress of Correction | Denver