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DECEMBER 2018
AN INDEPENDENT VOICE FOR THE REGION’S PSYCHOLOGISTS
Forensic psychologists bring psychological science to court By Phyllis Hanlon elevision shows give the impression that forensics involves allure and excitement while specially trained professionals unravel subtle clues to track down serial killers. But those who are in the field of forensic psychology tell a different story. Shannon Bader, Ph.D, ABPP, chief of forensic evaluations for the state of New Hampshire, dismissed the notion of “glamour” in relation to forensic psychology; rather she noted that she occasionally gives testimony in court, but spends a significant amount of time reading, interviewing, and writing reports.
Bader said that her religious background, in part, led her to this particular field where prisoners and those with mental illness are considered “the least of these” and are “double stigmatized.” She sought to listen and figure out how to help these individuals. “I continually see people who have fallen through the cracks. They might have been in foster care or did not receive good mental health treatment early in life,” Bader said. “If something had gone right in the person’s life, would things be different?” Bader works with adults in criminal court. “If a patient is arrested, I question the person’s capacity to move forward
“If something had gone right in the person’s life, would things be different?”
Shannon Bader, Ph.D., ABPP, chief of forensic evaluations, state of New Hampshire
in court. I work with people recently arrested or someone transitioning to the community from prison,” she said. “I don’t change the outcome but provide good information. I give the court a full picture of the person.” While Bader finds her chosen profession rewarding, she reported that there are some challenges, particularly regarding safety, but also related to personal balance. “I see a lot of ugly things and have to keep centered so I can function on a daily basis,” Bader said. Like all psychology niche areas, forensic psychology requires extensive education and experience as well as specialized training. “You have to have good training. The courts and attorneys expect you to know what you are talking about. You have to have supervision and experience,” Bader said. The American Academy of Forensic Psychology (AAFP) offers solid in-depth training, according to Bader. “Training alone is not enough, but a good introduction. You still need experience,” she said. Early in her career, Lisa M. Rocchio, Ph.D, owner of a group practice in Johnston, Rhode Island, had a number of patients who faced civil charges and/or were involved Continued on Page 10
Outreach program has team approach to assist children exposed to trauma By Catherine Robertson Souter ealizing that more must be done to reach out to children who have witnessed traumatic events, representatives from several agencies joined in Manchester NH to craft a unique outreach program. Launched two years ago, ACERT, or the Adverse Childhood Experiences Response
Team, has experienced some amazing results. Several times each week, a member of the Manchester Police Department, a crisis service advocate from the Manchester YWCA and a community health worker from the Manchester Community Health Center (MCHC) head out to knock on doors of homes where children were exposed to trauma. The plan, said program founding partner Lara Quiro-
ga, MEd, director of strategic initiatives for children at the MCHC, is to provide information for adult caregivers about services for children. “The highest number of calls are due to domestic incidents but we have also responded to overdoses, suicides or attempts, sexual assaults, pretty much any call where a child is exposed to trauma,” said Quiroga. Continued on Page 11
VOL. 26, NO. 10
Report: Corrections agencies reduce solitary confinement use By Janine Weisman he total number of people spending time alone in a U.S. prison or jail cell for an average of 22 hours or more per day for 15 continuous days is decreasing. So is the number of those with serious mental illness (SMI). That’s according to the most comprehensive study
2016 report titled “Aiming to Reduce Time-In-Cell.” “These reports provide evidence that some jurisdictions are able to maintain safety and security with far less use of solitary confinement than they had in the past,” said Yale Law School Professor Judith Resnik. Numerous studies have documented the physiologi-
“These reports provide evidence that some jurisdictions are able to maintain safety and security with far less use of solitary confinement than they had in the past.” Judith Resnik, Yale Law School professor Massachusetts-New Hampshire
of national data on the number of prisoners in restrictive housing — or what is more commonly known as solitary confinement. “Reforming Restrictive Housing,” released in October from the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) and the Arthur Liman Center for Public Interest Law at Yale Law School, estimated that 61,000 people were in isolation in prisons in the fall of 2017. Of that number, more than 4,000 were people with SMI. That’s compared to the 68,000 people counted in isolation in the fall of 2015, of whom 5,443 were people with SMI, according to the Liman Center and ASCA’s December
cal and psychological harms attributed to solitary confinement, from chronic headaches, extreme dizziness, heart palpitations, irregular digestion and drastic weight loss to increased risk of suicide, hallucinations, insomnia, paranoia, post-traumatic stress disorder and hypersensitivity to noise and touch. The Liman Center sent surveys to the 50 states, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP), the District of Columbia, and four jail systems in large metropolitan areas. The 43 prison systems that provided data on prisoners in restrictive housing held 80.6 percent of the nation’s prisContinued on Page 11
INSIDE
Wounded Warrior Project commits $160 million to expand program...............Page 7 Study finds a biomarker that may predict onset of psychosis ....................Page 12 CE listings.................................................Page 14