Typical Functions:  

• Provides initial and ongoing mental health screenings and evaluations identifying at-risk and vulnerable inmates needing prevention, intervention, referral, and the immediate provision of mental health services according to policy and procedures. Assigns mental health diagnoses to inmates as appropriate.  

• Provides crisis, suicide and harm-reduction intervention/procedures to inmates identified as high-risk for self-harm, harm to others and/or have the potential for violence.  

• Identifies, monitors, and provides mental health services to inmates with diagnosable mental health, behavioral, or emotional disorder to facilitate and support their wellness and recovery.  

• Provides individual and/or group counseling or psychotherapy and evidence-based therapeutic services to inmates identified as needing mental health services to prevent decompensation and to promote personal growth, coping skills and support their recovery.  

• Coordinates with other medical and mental health professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care.  

• Schedules, monitors, and may participate in appointments with internal and external mental health professionals and providers to ensure medication compliance. Assists with providing medication education to and management reviews with inmates.  

• Develops and implements an individualized mental health continuity of care/aftercare plan to inmates discharging to prevent decompensation and provides referrals and linkage to community resources.  

• Assists in developing and carrying out comprehensive, culturally attuned training programs for the recognition and handling of behavioral and psychological problems most common in a correctional setting involving difficult-to-manage inmates and the seriously mentally ill.  

• Assists in conducting psychological, social, and personality adjustments and suicide prevention in-service training for the correctional and other professional staff members in the recognition, prevention, and handling of emergent crisis situations.  

• Attends professional conferences and keeps abreast of the most recent research, trends, and therapeutic modalities in the field of mental health including ethics training necessary for the improvement of quality of care and systems of service delivery.  

• Participates as a member of the assigned facility’s interdisciplinary team in meetings, correctional conferences, and other related facility and state-wide trainings.  

• Conducts assessments for inmates placed in restrictive housing according to policy and procedures.  

• May intervene in crisis and potentially life threatening situations. 

• May implement research programs. 

Level Descriptor:  

This is the career level where incumbents are newly licensed or license eligible and perform advanced level professional work administering and interpreting cognitive, affective and behavioral tests, assigning diagnoses, providing treatment related services. There are no supervisory responsibilities assigned to this level, but training and assistance may be provided to less experienced professional or technical staff.  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies: