Continuing Education Center

The benefits of culturally informed treatment practices are profound, as they create a safe and trusting environment, help clients cope with racial disparities in the systems with which they are involved, enhance the effectiveness of treatment, lead to more accurate assessments and helpful interventions, and ultimately foster resilience in clients.

Dr. Tyffani Monford’s training is designed to focus on how professionals can best practice in a culturally informed manner. It covers several key areas such as cultural frameworks and intersectionality, the impact of culture, race, and privilege in working with individuals who have been abused and their families, critical issues within child welfare, law enforcement, and the juvenile justice system, and varied meanings of “family” and “community” among clients of color, and Cultural perspectives on mental health, the systems they interact with, incarceration, disclosure of harmful behaviors, and healthy sexuality.

By providing a safe environment for reflection and discussion, this training fosters the development of culturally responsive and effective mental health care practices.

In this training, Certified Trainer Katie Gotch provides a thorough overview of the Static-99R, including its development, scoring system, and application in various settings. Participants learn how to score each of the ten items, with scores ranging from -3 to 12, and understand how these scores categorize individuals into five distinct risk levels: very low, below average, average, above average, and well above average risk.

The training also covers the predictive validity of the Static-99R and its appropriate use in forensic settings. Case studies are utilized to enhance understanding and facilitate skill development throughout the training.

In this training, Certified Trainer Katie Gotch provides a thorough overview of the Static-99R, including its development, scoring system, and application in various settings. Participants learn how to score each of the ten items, with scores ranging from -3 to 12, and understand how these scores categorize individuals into five distinct risk levels: very low, below average, average, above average, and well above average risk.

The training also covers the predictive validity of the Static-99R and its appropriate use in forensic settings. Case studies are utilized to enhance understanding and facilitate skill development throughout the training.

The Cornerstone Program in rural upstate New York is navigating significant challenges, including limited resources and a 41% staffing vacancy rate as of January 2024. Despite these hurdles, it continues to expand services and maintain low recidivism rates among participants. This training, led by the Senior Director and Director of Clinical Services of the Cornerstone Program, explores how the program survives under such constraints.

The presenters, Sarah Louer and Ashley Wilfore, outline how the DPSs use the ARMIDILO-S assessment tool to guide decision-making and least-restrictive supervision while working within a staffing crisis. The presenters share how human rights remain at the forefront of the Cornerstone Program’s decisions and how administrators and Clinicians prevent the program from becoming overly restrictive with technology or staff.

Additionally, the presenters discuss innovative housing projects developed throughout the staffing crisis, designed to deliver specialized services for people dually diagnosed while minimizing staffing requirements.

It is imperative for treatment programs across the globe to share successful strategies that implement evidence-based approaches under resource constraints, especially in the context of this long-term staffing crisis.