The new paper is titled Correctional officer mental health training: Analysis of 52 U.S. jurisdictions.
Abstract: Research indicates correctional officer (CO) mental health training may facilitate the safety and security of incarcerated individuals and COs. We assessed Department of Corrections’ CO pre-service (requisite for beginning an official post) mental health training requirements in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All jurisdictions require mental health training, ranging from 1.5 to 80 hours (M = 13.54, SD = 14.58, Med = 8). The most common course topic is crisis intervention (n = 44, 84.62%), followed by general psychoeducation (n = 24, 46.15%), special populations (n = 12, 23.08%), specific clinical interventions (n = 7, 13.46%), institutional procedure specific to mental health (n = 6, 11.54%), and CO mental health and self-care (n = 4, 7.69%). Future research should examine whether CO mental health training relates to mental health outcomes, institutional metrics, and variations in training at the national and international levels.
Abstract: Research indicates correctional officer (CO) mental health training may facilitate the safety and security of incarcerated individuals and COs. We assessed Department of Corrections’ CO pre-service (requisite for beginning an official post) mental health training requirements in 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. All jurisdictions require mental health training, ranging from 1.5 to 80 hours (M = 13.54, SD = 14.58, Med = 8). The most common course topic is crisis intervention (n = 44, 84.62%), followed by general psychoeducation (n = 24, 46.15%), special populations (n = 12, 23.08%), specific clinical interventions (n = 7, 13.46%), institutional procedure specific to mental health (n = 6, 11.54%), and CO mental health and self-care (n = 4, 7.69%). Future research should examine whether CO mental health training relates to mental health outcomes, institutional metrics, and variations in training at the national and international levels.
