Counseling Psychology, Correctional Facilities, and Substance Abuse

[mambamonk87]

Hi all,

I'm currently working on a Counseling Psychology Ph.D, and I was wondering -- does anybody here have any knowledge or experience working in correctional facilities and prison populations? And what types of job opportunities are out there for a future CoPsy Ph.D interested in working with these populations?

I was also wondering if anyone could shed some light on careers in substance abuse, outside of a faculty position at a university or working in a university setting doing outreaches for irresponsible and spoiled college kids. I'm doing my practicum at my university's counseling center and I'm way too jaded and disillusioned with life to be working within the university setting for the rest of my career, lol.

Thanks in advance!
-monk

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[docma]

If you want to work outside the university setting be sure you get practica or internship outside a university counseling program. Counseling psychologists can work in all kinds of clinical settings and, especially once you are licensed, most settings lose track of the distinction re degree programs. But you will have difficulty getting entry level work in the settings you ask about if you have not worked beyond the campus or with populations that are not college students. I happen to have a counseling psychology doctorate but my clinical settings were all community/public sites and I have worked my whole career in public mental health. There will definitely be work in COD and forensic settings and while many settings also hire master level clinicians there is work for psychologists in assessment, treatment and definitely in program develoment and policy leadership.

 

[cara susanna]

Wait, you have a better attitudes towards inmates than college students?

 

[PrisonPsych]

*points to name*

8 years, state facilities. Whaddya wanna know?

 

[mambamonk87]

*points to name*

8 years, state facilities. Whaddya wanna know?

Thanks for all the advice everybody - I'm listening to all of your advice and I've been starting to network with people with chemical dependency licenses as well as looking into setting up a practicum site at a few correctional facilities nearby over the summer. Apologies for returning to this thread out of nowhere - I've just been busy, as I'm sure you all can relate to a 2nd year student who just started up his caseload, haha. Rivi, I realize now that I was talking from inexperience - my supervisor's given me the green light to pick up more severe cases now and I'm really starting to enjoy my work at the counseling center.

PrisonPsych, what can you tell me about the climate? I'm in a counseling psychology program and there haven't been many other students in the past that have been interested in the demographic, and so I haven't really been able to get a firsthand account of the experience. Also, not to say that the faculty hasn't been supportive in my interests, but I get the sense that they're a little wary of the dangers of the profession. What types of risks am I looking at (i.e., physical harm, the effects of a possibly hostile environment on one's emotional well being, ethical issues that come up)?

And if you don't mind some self-disclosure, how have you enjoyed it, and what brought you into the field? I apologize if I'm being too forward!

Anyway, I really appreciate all the input from everybody; thanks again!

 

[RayneeDeigh]

PrisonPsych, what can you tell me about the climate? I'm in a counseling psychology program and there haven't been many other students in the past that have been interested in the demographic, and so I haven't really been able to get a firsthand account of the experience. Also, not to say that the faculty hasn't been supportive in my interests, but I get the sense that they're a little wary of the dangers of the profession. What types of risks am I looking at (i.e., physical harm, the effects of a possibly hostile environment on one's emotional well being, ethical issues that come up)?

I did a year-long practicum in a max security federal prison for mentally ill inmates, and then worked there for a little over a year as an employee as well.

I can count on one hand the number of times I felt unsafe, and most of those were in my first week where I was too dumb to realize that the inmates were just regular people. In general I have found that they're so used to being treated badly, if you take the time to say hello and be friendly they are all extremely welcoming. The few times there have been incidents it's been because of severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, and I'd say there's probably more violence in most state hospitals than in the prison where I worked.

Yeah it's emotionally draining. I did some work on the palliative care unit and there's nothing quite like watching an inmate die slowly. It's hard to keep it at work sometimes, but it's also a good challenge. When you walk out of the gate at the end of the day you have to remember that you have a life outside of prison. I also took a while not to feel guilty for leaving every night while the guys had to stay locked in, but that was just my issue.

Ethical issues abound. Nobody can push buttons and boundaries quite like an inmate. They'll try to get you to do things that are against the rules, they'll ask you personal questions, and it's a great experience to get really solid clinical boundaries. There is also a constant dance between clinical and correctional staff, and you learn a lot about how to navigate the system while providing the best possible care.

 

[Psych66]

I'm a counseling psych Ph.D. student, I did a year long clinical externship at a maximum security forensic state hospital and am currently completing my internship at a BOP facility, so I can provide some input...

At the forensic hospital, every unit had a psychologist who was part of the primary treatment team. My supervisor was head of the long term unit, which meant that most of the patients had been there for years upon years. I was involved in conducting therapy groups, developing and implementing treatment plans, providing brief therapy and case management, assessing cognitive disorders like dementia and generally providing crisis intervention when needed. Another unit I worked on was focused on competency restoration. On that unit I completed competency to stand trial evals, and facilitated a competency restoration class aimed at helping the patients become more knowledgeable about court proceedings.

Working in a prison I've found is very similar to the secure hospital. I work at an administrative facility meaning that there are inmates of all security levels. My rotation now involves conducting court ordered evaluations like competency, sanity, etc. The other rotations involve working on the mental health unit of the prison as well as gen pop where we screen and assess newly admitted inmates who may be in need of psych services and respond to requests from inmates who have mental health concerns. I do alot of crisis intervention, suicide risk assessments and brief therapy at my site. If you are a person who loves to do hours and hours of individual long term therapy, corrections/forensics may not be the best place for you.

I can't speak to state prisons, as I've only worked in a federal prison but I can count only one time where I was really scared, and to add, I am a 5'2, young, female who has worked in male facilities. The difference between hospitals and prison I believe is the general attitude of the staff....the forensic hospital was much more "therapeutic" while in the prison, even though it is known that the inmates have severe mental health disorders, the attitude is "correctional". Officers don't always see eye to eye with you on things--but that's ok, I find that the inmates respond well to psychology staff and see us not as enemies like they do some of the officers. Treating them with dignity and respect goes a loooooong way.

Are you interested in forensic work or correctional work?

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

 

[mambamonk87]

Are you interested in forensic work or correctional work?

Please let me know if you have any further questions!

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Could you please help me understand the differences between the two?

 

[BellaPsyD]

i'm a psychologist in a federal (BOP) prison complex. you've gotten a lot of really good advice above. my chief is a counseling PhD- so it can be done! I want to add that in the BOP at least, "forensic psych" positions are relatively rare and they focus on testing for competency mainly. All other psych positions are as "staff psych" initially with some DAPC (drug abuse program coordinator) and now care III psychs. so really you are a correctional psychologist. hope this helps. i'm answering from my phone - sorry to be so brief!

 

[Psych66]

Sorry for taking so long to write back--

Forensic psych is largely conducting court ordered evaluations...competency, sanity, sentencing recommendations, etc. I would also call someone working in a forensic hospital a forensic psychologist but thats because they deal with only forensic patients...meaning the individuals there are there because there are incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity.

In the BOP, the reason forensic psych positions are rare is because there are only a handful of forensic study sites in the Bureau. So, if an inmate at any facility is ordered to undergo one, they are essentially transported to one of the study sites. So, the forensic psych's in the Bureau work at these sites, the positions are hard to come by. My supervisor conducts only forensic evals, nothing else.

Correctional psych is what BellaPsyD mentioned...if you work in a state or federal prison as a staff psychologist you are essentially a correctional psychologist. You function as a psychologist would in any other institution but you are working with inmates..so crisis intervention, risk assessments, brief therapy, etc.

So ultimately--forensic psych=court ordered evaluations
correctional psych--psychologist in a prison