Disability Justice Initiative

Our Endeavor:

To provide resources and training opportunities to community providers working with cognitively impaired offenders.

Staff expertise and specialized training continues to be the most important provider needs to increase the capacity to serve offenders with cognitive impairments. The Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for Human Development receives support from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority to identify and provide resources to build skills and capacity for community behavioral health providers to further serve offenders with cognitive impairments.

FY08 Activities

• Arrange, support, and provide financial incentives for community providers working with cognitively impaired offenders with a national expert via tele-mentoring and clinical peer counseling.
• Coordinate a two-day statewide conference on “Working with Cognitively Impaired Offenders: Effective Techniques and Tools”  presented by two internationally recognized and published experts on specific hands on strategies currently utilized and validated in the field.
• Coordinate and facilitate a half-day strategic planning meeting to learn from community providers what training and technical assistance supports are needed to best support offenders with cognitive impairments.
• Sponsor and host eight free audio conferences highlighting specific issues affecting offenders with cognitive impairments.

FY07 Activities

• Coordinated a two-day statewide conference presented by three internationally recognized experts focusing on promising best practices, assessment & treatment, and issues unique to specific populations (e.g. Alaskan native, FASD, and developmental disabilities). Ninety-two attendees participated, 20 of which were from rural communities.
• Offered 10 community mini-grants of up to $4000 to provide for and arrange individualized training, technical assistance, and/or consultation services.
• Hosted four free audio conferences highlighting specific issues affecting offenders with cognitive impairments.

FY06 Activities

• Coordinated a one-day statewide conference keynoted by two internationally recognized practicing experts. Three three tracks to meet the various participants: a community provider supervisory track, a direct therapeutic provider track for case managers/therapists, and a justice system track for correction officers. One hundred and fifteen attendees participated, 13 of which were from rural communities.
• Conducted and analyzed data from statewide survey of community providers on issues affecting their work with offenders with cognitive impairments.