The first responders and clinical staff working within correctional facilities are the target group
Behavior
The first responders and clinical staff should be able to recognize, identify and evaluate those individuals with a suspected mental illness prior to their booking in jail for any crime that can be described as non-violent (Skeem, 110). The learners should be in a position to determine the signs and symptoms that primarily indicate a mental illness. The learners should be able to utilize and administer the mental and cognitive assessment tools and use the scores to determine mental status. The learners should be in a position to describe possible interventions for each patient based on the scores of the tools used (Felthous, 1).
Condition
The first session will be preceded by having all the learners participate in an online learning style assessment whose results will be submitted before the first session. The learners provided with all a handout that details the available tools for mental and cognitive assessment and will be required to examine and apply it in a case study within the same handout. Given these materials, the learners will be required to assess and evaluate their results against the instructor’s responses which will be provided at the end of the thirty minute schedule for completing the tool and applying the case study.
Degree
The learners who score up to 90% of the case study application against the instructors responses will be required to move on to the next phase of the training. Those who scooper a lower value will have to undergo a familiarization session that will involve analysis of case studies picked form within correctional facilities (Cusack, 358). This will be done as a classroom discussion and the learners will be expected to identify the areas of concern where they experienced difficulties. The second session will intend to teach the learners on the professional judgment and intuition in using and choosing the mental and cognitive assessment tools (Barrenger, 171).
Works Cited
Barrenger, Stacey L., and Jeffrey Draine. "“You Don't Get No Help”: The Role of Community Context in Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Treatments for People with Mental Illness Leaving Prison for High Risk Environments." American Journal of Psychiatric Rehabilitation 16.2 (2013): 154-178. Print.
Cusack, Karen J., Joseph P. Morrissey, Gary S. Cuddeback, Annabel Prins, and David M. Williams. "Criminal Justice Involvement, Behavioral Health Service Use, and Costs of Forensic Assertive Community Treatment: A Randomized Trial." Community Ment Health J 46.4 (2010): 356-363. Print.
Felthous, Alan R. "The treatment of persons with mental illness in prisons and jails: an untimely report." Psychiatric Times 31.8 (2014): 1-1.
Skeem, Jennifer L., Sarah Manchak, and Jillian K. Peterson. "Correctional policy for offenders with mental illness: creating a new paradigm for recidivism reduction." Law and human behavior 35.2 (2011): 110.
