Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy encountered in corrections. While screening guidelines are well standardized, therapy options have become increasingly more complicated. The role of new therapeutics, including hormonal options and novel radiopharmaceuticals, will be discussed, along with their effect on physicians' treatment decisions and patient outcomes.

Educational Objectives

• Define patients appropriate for PSA screening
• Review treatment options for patients with low, intermediate, and high-risk prostate cancer
• Discuss the role of new hormonal and theranostic agents in diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

Level: Intermediate

Sexually transmitted infections are a significant health challenge within the U.S., particularly among the incarcerated, who represent a population with high rates of STIs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2019 data report revealed STIs reached a new all-time high for the sixth consecutive year with more than 2.5 million documented cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Presentation will cover updates on STI screening and management detailed in the CDC 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines, changes in STD regimens, new test of cure recommendations, retesting, and follow-up strategies.

Educational Objectives

• Discuss updated STI screening recommendations from the CDC 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines
• Outline new diagnostic and treatment regimens for STI management
• Describe updates in follow-up strategies to optimize STI monitoring

Level: Advanced

Youth in the justice system experience disproportionately high rates of unplanned pregnancy and STDs/STIs, yet the field suffers from a concerning gap in tailored evidence-based preventive programming. This session will provide a reason for optimism. The national Juvenile Justice Innovation and Impact Network is co-designing and testing seven engaging theory-based interventions in direct partnership with young people and correctional partners. Workshop participants will learn more about their unique strategy and results-oriented partnerships with justice systems around the country and gain a deeper knowledge of collective approaches, emerging theories, and promising interventions.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the need for innovative partnerships to develop effective adolescent sexual health prevention education
• Define motivational interviewing - social network theory, education entertainment, and human-centered design theories
• Explain the promise of new interventions for promoting positive adolescent sexual health outcomes

Level: Basic

Cancelled

A meaningful nursing preceptorship program supports nursing retention by improving the onboarding process for new hires. The program also is an opportunity for experienced nurses to give back to the nursing profession by helping new team members begin their correctional nursing journey on the right foot. The presenters' program uses a blended (virtual and live) format. Attendees will learn the essential elements for building a successful and effective preceptorship program in a correctional setting.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the role and responsibilities of a nursing preceptor
• Identify the skills necessary to be a successful nursing preceptor
• Explain how the blended learning module enhances the learner's experience

Level: Basic

Correctional medicine can be a litigious environment. As the first line of defense, medical records are of vital importance in shielding providers and staff from exposure to false or misleading claims. This presentation will explore how medical records can be used or misused in three stages of litigation. By illuminating the significance of a note's substance, including documentation of personal observations and patient statements, attendees will learn tools to reduce chances of a lawsuit and increase the odds of a positive legal outcome.

Educational Objectives

• Differentiate the use of medical records in preliminary injunction, depositions, and dispositive motions
• Recognize common legal pitfalls of generic or vague documentation
• Identify tools to effectively document encounters beyond the medical aspect

Level: Intermediate

Presenters from the Illinois DOC will describe how the START NOW skills program has reduced disciplinary infractions by 27% and self-reported aggression by 9%. This evidence-informed treatment model is designed to treat incarcerated individuals with mental health issues, behavioral disorders, and associated behavioral problems. START NOW integrates research, theory, and clinical experience, focusing on an accepting and collaborative clinical style. Find out if this approach could work in your facility.

Educational Objectives

• Explain the successes and challenges of implementing the START NOW skills program in Illinois
• Name the key components of the START NOW skills program
• Analyze the data collected from 15 Illinois DOC facilities

Level: Intermediate

Supporting individuals while they work to change dangerous and risky behaviors is challenging. Working with individuals who cannot see the risks associated with their actions is even more difficult. Both require an understanding of how behaviors are supported by the environment as well as the individual's internal experiences. In this session, we will move beyond behavior theory to theories of motivation and change in order to understand how we can support transformation in others. It is about more than education and consequences; it is about appreciating the struggle within the individual and working with ambivalence to set the stage for contemplating change. Practical strategies and the role of each individual provider within the larger health care team will be discussed.

Educational Objectives

• Examine how behavior is supported by triggers and rewards
• Explore theories of motivation and change
• Describe practical strategies for supporting individuals in appreciating the need to change and taking steps toward change

Level: Basic

This presentation provides an overview of gender-responsive and trauma-informed treatment approaches being used through the Washington State Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment and Assessment Program with female individuals, including those who identify as transgender and nonconforming, who have committed sexually motivated offenses. The presenters will share an overview of current research and examples of how treatment delivery is being adjusted to meet the needs of this population, including treatment approaches based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. They also will review current literature and research recommendations regarding treatment approaches, interventions, and future areas of study.

Educational Objectives

• Describe current evidence-based treatment models for working with individuals who identify as female and have committed sexually motivated crimes
• Identify current gender-responsive treatment approach adjustments being made to respond to the needs of this population
• Cite recent research about treatment of this population

Level: Intermediate

This session guides participants through strategies to improve health care utilization through cultural responsiveness and models for shared decision making. Learn how first impressions impact patient engagement and follow up, approaches to improving utilization and engagement, the importance of humanizing language, and the five steps of cultural formulation.

Educational Objectives

• Describe three frameworks for analyzing how cultural factors affect clinical encounters
• Review strategies for improving engagement in and utilization of correctional health services
• Discuss considerations for engagement in care and benefits of cultural responsiveness

Level: Basic

The security of dental sharps such as needles and scalpels as well as anesthetic carpules and other instruments is essential in the dental clinic. These items must be rigorously monitored, tracked, and documented to ensure the safety of staff and patients. This talk will provide a practical example of a way to ensure that dental sharps are managed and accounted for.

Educational Objectives

• State the importance of reaching consensus on what constitutes dental sharps
• Examine ways to track the inventory and document the usage and disposal of sharps
• Discuss use of reports, schedules, and corrective action plans to ensure sharps are properly reconciled

Level: Intermediate

Diagnostic excellence is much more than being well-trained and having extensive knowledge. This presentation will walk the audience though the process required to assist in diagnostic excellence, a skill set centered around four steps that require not only sound thinking but also a critical awareness of how you as an individual clinician think: metacognition. Case examples, specific disease entities, and metrics will be used to support these steps and six domains of the diagnostic process

Educational Objectives

• Identify the four steps of diagnostic excellence
• Define metacognition and its role in diagnostic excellence
• List the six domains of the diagnostic process

Level: Advanced

Mindfulness is a skill that can enhance relaxation, focus, and productivity. What if mindfulness were used to assess, diagnose, and treat patients in the correctional setting? How could this change the way we view our patients? How might it lead to improved clinical outcomes for patients and increased job satisfaction for providers? This presentation will educate health care professionals on the use of mindfulness in daily practice and how to implement it in the correctional setting. Attendees will review basic mindfulness concepts and learn specific ways to incorporate those concepts into daily practice.

Educational Objectives

• Explain the concept of mindfulness
• Identify three barriers to providing the best care in correctional settings
• Describe mindfulness-based strategies to assess, diagnose, and treat patients

Level: Intermediate

Incarcerated women, who commonly have a history of trauma, are at risk for several adverse consequences. Untreated trauma can hinder a smooth transition back into the community and negatively impact mental health. By practicing trauma-informed care, a more conducive environment can be built in order to strengthen the clinician-doctor relationship, facilitate a safe space, provide more specialized services, and prepare them for life outside the walls. Attendees to this session will learn what the New Jersey Commission on Women's Reentry is doing to ensure trauma-informed care for women even before they leave confinement.

Educational Objectives

• Discuss the post-reentry benefits of trauma-informed care for women
• Define retraumatization
• Describe how past trauma can affect the patient-provider relationship

Level: Intermediate

Pain and inflammation significantly slow healing. Health care professionals may not be familiar with the validated tools for pain assessment and the wide variety of choices for pain management. Inflammation may be overlooked, or mistaken for infection. An understanding of the pathophysiology of pain and inflammation forms the basis for interventions. Attendees will learn how to conduct an efficient, thorough assessment of pain and inflammation, leading to management that is evidence-based, individualized, creative, and effective.

To get the most out of this session, be sure to download the presentation materials before it begins. 

Educational Objectives

• Describe how pain and inflammation interact to slow wound healing
• Identify appropriate tools for assessing pain and interpret the results
• Design a care plan using a nonprescription intervention to help a patient manage wound pain and inflammation

Level: Advanced

This presentation provides an overview of the experiences of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in legal, judicial, and correctional settings. It seeks to increase identification, treatment, and protection of such patients when incarcerated, and discusses historical factors affecting mental health prior to these patients' incarcerations that affect them during incarceration. The presenter, both a researcher and the mother of two grown sons with autism spectrum disorder, will discuss diagnostic criteria, mental health treatment, behavior management, aggression, and physical plant accommodations.

Educational Objectives

• Identify behaviors that might indicate someone in a correctional facility has autism spectrum disorder
• Describe how attitudes toward individuals with ASD might affect their experiences in law enforcement, judicial, and correctional settings
• Discuss three accommodations that can be used when interacting with an individual with ASD

Level: Intermediate

Stress is part of the unique world of corrections, and that has been exacerbated by current events such as the pandemic, socioeconomic disparities, and racial injustice. Already under tremendous stress and outside of our comfort zones, corrections professionals are experiencing the failure of time-honored ways of coping and living life. This session will explore various techniques to develop a new and healthy life balance plan. Participants will learn stress-relieving and life-balancing practices to resiliency at work and home, including taking responsibility for decisions and behaviors; supervision and support groups: and techniques such as mediation, mindfulness, yoga, exercise, and healthy eating.

Educational Objectives

• Define resiliency
• Discuss correctional stress as an occupational hazard
• Identify stress-relieving and life-harmonizing strategies for use at work and home

Level: Basic

Correctional health care professionals are continually faced with opportunities to make both straightforward and complex clinical decisions. Providing care requires ongoing triage to risk stratify priorities. This presentation will highlight the Institute of Safe Medication Practices' nine classes of high-alert medications and seven specific high-alert medications, the drugs most often involved in harmful errors. Participants will learn about clinical decision support tools and disease registries to optimize patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and efficiency of resource utilization.

Educational Objectives

• Review the Institute for Safe Medication Practices high-alert medication classes and specific high-alert medications
• Describe the potential effects of clinical inertia and deprescribing
• Explore ways to apply clinical decision support tools and disease registries in correctional health care

Level: Intermediate

While substance use disorders among women have risen for decades, treatment and recovery services designed initially for men do not necessarily support women, especially those who are pregnant or parenting and have an opioid use disorder. Presenters will discuss research surrounding women who are pregnant, postpartum, and experiencing a substance and opioid use disorder; explore the intricacies of substance use disorders related to pregnant and postpartum women and their newborns; and present evidence-based, best-practice, and gold standard treatment, recovery, and supportive services for this vulnerable population.

Educational Objectives

• Define substance use disorder and the potential complications for infants born to women with SUD
• Identify gaps and barriers to recovery services for pregnant and postpartum women
• Analyze why this subset of people with substance use disorders requires a long-term and potentially medication-assisted approach to treatment

Level: Basic

Of the 9 million people released from jails each year, about two-thirds are rearrested within three years. In this session, participants will learn about an Indiana program that focuses on the individuals' whole health needs while incarcerated and equips patients with the tools and resources necessary to positively contribute to their families and communities upon release. To date, the recidivism rate for participants in this program is less than half the national average.

Educational Objectives

• Describe programming and approaches to treatment that are proven to reduce recidivism
• Explore ways the criminal justice system can enhance focus on treatment rather than punitive measures
• Discuss the necessity for continuity of care, or bridge services, as individuals transition back to the community

Level: Intermediate

This presentation will outline the treatment and management of transgender, gender dysphoric, and intersex individuals within the Florida Department of Corrections. Case studies will be used to present methods, findings, and conclusions. Attendees can expect to gain insight into this challenging and complex patient population.

Educational Objectives

• Cite the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria
• Define the process of evaluation of gender dysphoria
• Describe the management of transgender, gender dysphoric, and intersex incarcerated individuals

Level: Intermediate

The Washington State Penitentiary established a successful near miss reporting system, a method of reporting -- and correcting -- potential hazards before an adverse event occurs. Reporting is voluntary and can be confidential. Hazards reported can include unsafe acts, environment, or equipment. While major medical systems use near miss reporting systems, this is likely the first of its kind to be implemented in a large correctional facility. The result was a paradigm shift to a just culture of inclusion, initiative, communication, ownership, trust, and proactively working for safety.

Educational Objectives

• Define a near miss reporting system
• Describe the steps to implementing a near miss reporting system
• Outline the benefits of a near miss reporting system

Level: Basic

This presentation describes ReConnect Us, a federally funded demonstration project to support continuity of care among people with HIV reentering the community after a period of incarceration. This project enhances collaboration and establishes data sharing among partners including the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. The project emphasizes postrelease HIV care engagement, adherence to treatment, and viral suppression maintenance. Attendees can expect to gain in-depth knowledge of the steps needed to initiate an enhanced discharge planning and postrelease linkage-to care-program for persons with HIV.

Educational Objectives

• Relate the benefits of public health and corrections partnerships to improve outcomes across the HIV care continuum
• Discuss how data can used to improve program development, implementation, quality of care, and participant outcomes in a collaborative reentry program
• Identify successes, challenges, and lessons learned about successful community reentry for persons with HIV

Level: Intermediate

Treating severe behavioral problems in corrections is a critical job for correctional mental health professionals -- and one of the most daunting. Evidence-based treatment programs designed specifically for a correctional population are lacking. In this session, the presenter will review the use of a group milieu treatment for impulse control and high-risk behaviors within a correctional setting; detail a study investigating its effectiveness; and discuss strategies for establishing outcome-based studies in corrections.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the use of skills-focused treatment for behavioral and emotional dysregulation disorders
• Explain the need for evidence-based research in corrections
• Identify strategies for incorporating outcomes-based research into clinical practice

Level: Intermediate

Pregnant women have a host of challenges when incarcerated. Their pregnancies are frequently complicated by mental health issues, substance use disorders, poor health, poor nutrition, and lack of prenatal care. There are additional health risks while in corrections due to restraints, substance abuse management, and inadequate staff training. Focusing on obstetrical challenges in the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum periods will better equip participants to improve outcomes for incarcerated mothers and their infants.

Educational Objectives

• Describe the challenges of obstetrical care in corrections during the prenatal, labor and delivery, and postpartum periods
• Identify methods to meet the challenges of obstetrical care in corrections
• Debate restraint use for pregnant and postpartum women

Level: Intermediate

Learn about the important role of supportive psychotherapy for people who are incarcerated. The presenter will provide practical knowledge based on current evidence-based practices and share how mental health practitioners can strengthen the supportive relationship and apply supportive psychotherapeutic communication methods, educational and directive techniques in working with their patients. Also discussed will be adaptations of supportive psychotherapy to special populations, such as those who are seriously mentally ill and those with post-traumatic stress conditions.

Educational Objectives

• Review the main types of psychotherapy commonly used when working with incarcerated individuals
• Define supportive psychotherapy
• Distinguish the adaptations of supportive psychotherapy to special populations found in correctional settings

Level: Intermediate

Human trafficking is a growing reality in many communities and, unfortunately, correctional institutions are a primary recruitment venue. Many victims suffer from serious medical and mental health conditions, lack trusting relationships, and are reluctant to self-identify as victims. They cycle in and out of correctional systems on prostitution and drug-related charges. Learn how to address this issue by instituting policies, training, and other interventions that help break the cycle of victimization.

Educational Objectives

• Review ways to identify suspected human trafficking victims
• Describe the health effects of human trafficking
• List interventions available to effectively address human trafficking within a correctional system

Level: Basic

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Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death in correctional facilities, representing a serious public health problem, and one that is preventable in many cases. This session will provide an overview of guiding principles for strategic and tactical options for suicide prevention. Most of the session will be spent in Q&A taking questions and comments from the audience on appropriate measures for suicide prevention.

Educational Objectives

• Describe why incarcerated individuals experience greater risk of suicide
• Identify steps facilities can take to prevent suicide attempts
• Explain the responsibilities of staff in suicide prevention

Level: Intermediate

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is the standard of care for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder. To reduce legal liability and provide high quality care to individuals in correctional facilities, administrative and health staff may begin exploring starting or expanding an MAT program. However, regulatory restrictions, lack of buy-in from leadership and staff, risk of diversion, and limited resources may pose serious barriers. This expert panel will provide a brief background on opioid use disorder and MAT in correctional environments, evidence in favor of MAT, and common barriers to the provision of FDA-approved buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone. During the remainder of the session, speakers will provide an opportunity for open discussion and Q&A regarding successful provision of MAT, overcoming common barriers, and OTP accreditation.

Educational Objectives

• Explore the use of MAT in corrections
• Describe common barriers to MAT implementation
• Discuss OTP accreditation

Level: Intermediate