A Mental Health Treatment Program for Inmates in Restrictive Housing

Book excerpt: This treatment program targets the criminal, behavioral, and mental health problems of inmates in segregated housing that prevents them from living prosocially and productively within the general prison population. The program makes use of a bi-adaptive psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral treatment model to increase inmates’ understanding about the psychological and criminal antecedents that contributed to their current placement, and to teach them the skills necessary for managing these problem areas. This flexible intervention assists inmates with significant problem behaviors by reducing psychological impairment and improving their ability to cope with prison life. This book includes a program introduction and guide for clinicians, the inmate workbook, and accompanying eResources to assist clinicians in both successful program implementation and evaluation of treatment outcomes. Designed to account for the safety and physical limitations that make the delivery of needed mental and behavioral health services difficult, this guide is essential reading for practitioners working with high-needs, high-risk inmate populations.