Corrections_Today_November_December_2019

Office of Correctional Health

residency program is to train license- ready professionals in the field of psychology with specific training and insight into the complex systems found in a correctional setting. The scientist-practitioner model Assignments in the correctional setting include psychological as- sessments of inmates, treatment planning, individual and group therapy, consultation and research, supervision, program management and administration and interpersonal communication. Consistent with the scientist-practitioner training model, part of the psychology residents’ time in the program is spent in the improvement of research skills and self-directed learning. Each psychol- ogy resident, for example, researches a specific psychometric instrument, presents the research findings in a didactic format and includes the util- ity of the instrument in a correctional environment as well as training staff in the use of the assessment tool. Additionally, they develop a training module meant to target the improvement of clinical skills among the larger mental health treatment team located at the facility where they are assigned. This allows them to learn to be more than just good consumers of research, but rather good disseminators of that research. Because the psychology residents use the latest scientific research in professional psychology to inform

Psychology residents use the scientist-practitioner model to solve problems. Thomas Culbreath/Florida Department of Corrections

mental health units. The wardens of these facilities have noted the benefit of having exceptionally trained and highly motivated psychology residents joining these mental health teams. For example, Warden Tamera Poynter stated, “The psychology internship and residency programs provide opportunities to learn in an environment like no other, while building additional knowledge and teamwork skills working with secu- rity. The results have been amazing.” A multidisciplinary approach The psychology residents, who have completed all the requisite coursework and training for their doctoral degrees and operate under

the title “psychology resident” in our facilities are credentialed and receive the same required training as other senior mental health clinicians in the department. Throughout the training year, they provide services to those in FDC custody across the spectrum of clinical settings within a multidisci- plinary services team model. The psychology residents acquire experience across clinical settings, including reception intake, inpatient, outpatient and court-ordered mental health treatment. Elevating the train- ing of psychology residents beyond the training in the internship, they learn the complex administrative and supervisory demands fulfilled by doctoral-level clinicians in a cor- rectional environment. Accordingly, the goal and focus of the psychology

78 — November/December 2019 Corrections Today