2026 ACA 156th Congress of Correction Pittsburgh_Program Book

continuity of care after release, and strategies for implementing similar referral pathways. Learning Objectives: • Describe how quick access to referral pathways increases the likelihood of an incarcerated patient’s engagement with care post-release and reduces burden on staff in correctional facilities • Evaluate lessons learned during planning and implementation, including onboarding community-based partners. • Examine the MATTERS Program’s progress in Allegheny County by looking at local referral data. Moderator: Brandi Harrison , Project Manager, Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Speaker: Matthew Bequeath , Program Manager, Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Advancing Correctional Case Management: From Intake to Community Reentry Room 315 Primary Community of Focus: Prisons & Jails Overview: Correctional case management (CM) is often fragmented across departments, limiting information needed to support rehabilitation, reentry and suicide prevention. Critical social and behavioral health data— including substance use, mental illness, co-occurring disorders and responsivity factors—may be missing or siloed. This NIC workshop presents a systems approach that frames CM as a coordinated process from intake through community reentry. Practical strategies will be shared to implement an integrated model, documentation practices, and information sharing to improve outcomes for staff and incarcerated individuals, along with opportunities for a national CM consortium to SATURDAY, AUG. 1 2:30–3:30 P.M.

WORKSHOPS

Saturday, Aug. 1 ▼ 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

strengthen collaboration. Moderator: Mazen El Ghaziri , Associate Professor, UMASS Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts Speakers: Sandora Cathcart , National Program Advisor, Jail Division, National Institute of Corrections, Washington, D.C.; Lisa Jaegers , Professor, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri Advancing Corrections: Technology & Innovation/Staff Wellness/Facility Safety Room 319 Primary Community of Focus: Technology Overview: In juvenile justice, the most critical element of rehabilitation is human connection. Yet, frontline staff are increasingly buried under a “digital burden”— navigating complex case management workflows and hundreds of facility policies. This interactive 90-minute workshop demonstrates how the convergence of Operational Policy, Modern Technology and Human Connection is advancing corrections at the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS). IT leaders will share their blueprint for building a custom, in-house AI ecosystem. Participants will learn how DYS IT successfully partners with internal business units to deploy mobile-friendly Large Language Model (LLM) assistants that cut data-entry time by 50%, parse 435+ policies

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