#32 CIT in Corrections: The Oregon Way

The Center Collaborative: Creative Solutions in Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice

Kailee Evans, Oregon Department of Corrections Lead Correctional Counselor, Team Lead for the Peer Support Team, and CIT Coordinator for High Desert CIT, discusses:

• History of the Memphis Model CIT curriculum development, and how she altered the format to fit within the corrections environment.

• How the Oregon Way was developed through a partnership with the Norway prison system, and involved staff from the prison in Oregon traveling to Norway to learn about the different cultural approach.

• The Oregon accountability process utilizes staff wellness to model prosocial behavior to the AIC’s in order to teach them how to react and behave by example.

• 99% of people in prison get released, so the more focus spent on rehabilitation, the better neighbors we will all have.

• The Oregon Department of Corrections puts emphasis on staff wellness, and has added CIT and peer support to policy.

• The 40-hour CIT training incorporates different methods, including utilizing real-life scenarios for role-plays in order to practice the skills learned.

For more information about the intersection between criminal justice and behavioral health in Oregon, please reach out to us through our website at http://www.ocbhji.org/podcast and Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OCBHJI/. We’d love to hear from you.

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