Cultural Competence: Understanding the Experience of Justice-Involved Individuals
Where
This is an online event that will take place via Zoom. Instructions for accessing the Zoom will be sent to the email address used for registration.Contact
Christina Steudte, LMHCAssociation for Mental Health and Wellness
631-471-7242 ext 1330
csteudte@mhaw.org
Who Should Attend
Social Workers, Mental Health Counselors, Creative Arts Therapists, Marriage and Family Therapists, and any professional that is working in the mental health field.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will gain an understanding of the basic concepts and terminology of the criminal legal system
- Participants will understand the scope, including the racial impact, of the criminal legal system
- Participants will understand the impact, including direct impact, emotional impact, and collateral consequences of exposure to the criminal legal system
- Participants will understand their professional role in working with this population, including social justice implications of working with individuals within the population
Mental health professionals are often called upon to engage with justice-involved individuals in different settings. In some instances, the impact of justice-involvement may be at the center of the therapeutic work, while for many the impact of justice-involvement may seem more removed from the work. In either case it is important for these professionals to be aware of the possible impacts of justice-involvement, including emotional impact but also the collateral consequences that might impact the individual.
Understanding and applying a Human-Centered, Strengths-Based approach is particularly important when working with this population. Mental health and substance use issues that social workers and mental health professionals are trained to work with are of course present in this population, but it also important to recognize the role of trauma when a person has a history of justice-involvement. Traumatic experiences often play a role in a person being exposed to the criminal legal system initially, and additional trauma can result as the person goes through the system and beyond. Conditions like PTSD may be present as a result of justice-involvement, but professionals should recognize that trauma may be ongoing (for example, as a result of post-release supervision that the person may still be subject to, and due to the many other collateral consequences that the person may experience).
This workshop will also cover macro-level issues including approaches to reforming the currently criminal legal system and understanding some of the current movements.
APPROVED FOR 3 CONTINUING EDUCATION HOURS
LIVE ONLINE WEBINAR
(LMSW/LCSW/LMHC/LCAT/LMFT)
Association for Mental Health and Wellness is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers. (Provider #0156)
Association for Mental Health and Wellness is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. (Provider #MHC-0014)
Certificate of completion will be provided after the return of completed evaluation (via email).
Registration fee: $75.00
About the Presenter
Christie A. Cunningham, JD, LMSW
I am a human rights advocate, focusing on reform of the criminal legal system. I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from North Carolina State University, a Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, and a Master of Social Work degree from New York University. I was a co-organizer of the “Mass Incarceration Conversation Series” at the NYU Silver School of Social Work and am affiliated with the New York Re-entry Education Network (NYREN) and Restorative Justice Institute (RJI).