MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS AND SERVICES IN CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES - WHO DOES WHAT?

• NCJ Number: 63837
• Journal: Journal of Offender Counseling, Services and Rehabilitation Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (FALL 1979) Pages: 33-41
• Author(s): N J PALLONE; D S LAROSA
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Haworth Press, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA ON THE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS (PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, AND CORRECTIONAL COUNSELORS) EMPLOYED IN STATE AND FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES ARE PRESENTED AND DISCUSSED.

Abstract

DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM THE NATIONAL PRISONER STATISTICS BRANCH, U.S. BUREAU OF THE CENSUS AND THE U.S. BUREAU OF PRISONS IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION (1978). SOCIAL WORKERS CONSTITUTE 76 PERCENT OF ALL MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED IN FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES AND 57 PERCENT OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS. A RATIO OF 1 MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALIST TO 52 INMATES WAS FOUND IN FEDERAL FACILITIES AND 1 SPECIALIST TO 81 INMATES IN STATE FACILTIES. DATA CONCERNING THE AVAILABILITY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT, TREATMENT FOR ALCOHOLISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE) IN STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES WERE ALSO REVIEWED. THESE SERVICES ARE REPORTED AS BEING VIRTUALLY UNIVERSALLY AVAILABLE IN STATE FACILITIES OF VARIOUS TYPES (CLOSED PRISONS, CLASSIFICATION AND MEDICAL CENTERS, FARMS AND CAMPS, AND 'OTHER,' PRIMARILY COMMUNITY-BASED, SETTINGS). DATA ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF FULL-TIME MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS IN THESE FACILITIES, HOWEVER, REVEALS THAT INMATES IN 93 PERCENT OF ALL STATE FACILITIES HAVE NO ACCESS TO A FULL-TIME PSYCHIATRIST, WHILE 79 PERCENT HAVE NO ACCESS TO A FULL-TIME PSYCHOLOGIST; 62 PERCENT HAVE NO ACCESS TO A FULL-TIME SOCIAL WORKER, AND 87 PERCENT HAVE NO ACCESS TO A FULL-TIME CORRECTIONAL COUNSELOR. THE WIDE DISPARITIES BETWEEN THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES REPORTED AS EXISTING IN STATE FACILITIES AND THE PROPORTION OF FACILITIES WHICH DO NOT HAVE FULL-TIME MENTAL HEALTH SPECIALISTS IN ONE OR MORE OF THE FOUR SPECIALTIES RAISES THE QUESTION OF WHO IS PROVIDING THE SERVICES REPORTED. THIS QUESTION NEEDS TO BE ANSWERED. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)