This session highlights the importance of empathetic health care in correctional settings. Participants will learn key skills such as showing understanding, fostering compassion, and addressing bias, with an emphasis on nonjudgmental care that respects individual circumstances to improve outcomes and reintegration. The presentation also explores challenges correctional staff face, including burnout and desensitization, and encourages reflection on how perspective, tone, and compassion fatigue may influence clinical decision-making.

Educational Objectives

• Discuss the impact of empathetic health care on improving outcomes, particularly for individuals engaging in self-injurious behavior       
• Recognize how the challenges faced by correctional staff can influence clinical decision-making and patient interactions        
• Develop skills to foster empathy and compassion in interactions with incarcerated individuals, aiming to reduce SIB frequency and intensity and alleviate patient distress

Level: Basic