2026 ACA Winter Conference Long Beach CA_Program Book

featured SeSSIon

InnovatIve StrategIeS for SuIcIde PreventIon In HIgH rISk correctIonal envIronmentS Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 • 1–2:30 p.m. Room 104 C Overview This plenary session examines system-level, effective, and innovative suicide prevention strategies implemented across state prison systems and county jails. The session focuses on scalable innovations that integrate clinical healthcare, custody operations, peer engagement, and crisis de-escalation to reduce suicide risk among high-acuity incarcerated populations. Summary Correctional environments represent one of the highest-risk settings for suicide, driven by the convergence of mental illness, substance withdrawal, trauma exposure, and operational stressors. This plenary session brings together national correctional leaders who have successfully implemented innovative, preventive strategies that reduce suicide risk. Attendees will learn how Texas operationalized a research-validated suicide prevention algorithm; how Mississippi aligned leadership practices with suicide prevention outcomes; how Massachusetts expanded access to support through a wellness hotline and peer-based engagement model; and how El Paso County’s award winning TRUST Program redefined crisis response by establishing co-responders to reduce uses of force and improving safety for individuals with serious mental illness. Through facilitated discussion, this session will move beyond isolated success stories to identify shared principles, implementation challenges, and decision points relevant to correctional executives and personnel nationwide. Purpose • Highlight proven suicide prevention models currently used within diverse correctional environments. • Translate research-driven algorithms and field-tested operational practices into actionable strategies for correctional leaders. • Demonstrate how executive leadership, custody staff, and healthcare teams can collaborate to improve safety outcomes. • Provide attendees with replicable frameworks that balance security functions with clinical effectiveness and care.

PreSenterS

Bobby Lumpkin Executive Director Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Burl Cain Commissioner Mississippi Department of Corrections

Chief Andrew Prehm El Paso County Sheriff’s Office , Colorado Joseph Penn Director of Mental Health Services UTMB Correctional Managed Care Heidi Washington Director Michigan Department of Corrections Lorelei Ammons, PsyD Chief Operating Officer Clinical Services, VitalCore Health Strategies Deborah Schult, Ph.D. Deputy Chief of

SeSSIon facIlItatorS

Behavioral Health VitalCore Health Strategies

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