IDOC launches trauma-intervention program for correctional staff and residents
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho Department of Correction has launched a pilot program aimed at helping the department’s staff and residents address the impact of trauma on their mental and physical health.
The first phase of IDOC’s trauma intervention program will focus on correctional staff. The department is inviting mental health professionals to submit proposals describing how they would help staff address trauma-related problems like stress and burnout.
“We count on these dedicated professionals to keep the people of Idaho safe,” IDOC Director Josh Tewalt said. “We want to do more to help them stay healthy in the course of performing their difficult and sometimes dangerous jobs.”
Qualified professionals who are eligible to apply for funding through the trauma intervention program include licensed psychologists, master’s level social workers and professional counselors and other credentialed individuals who have experience treating psychological trauma and stress. They can request funding for a variety of types of intervention, including but not limited to:
- Neurofeedback
- Trauma-informed stress relief and relaxation techniques
- Cognitive Processing Therapy
- Mindfulness
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
IDOC’s trauma intervention program for staff and incarcerated individuals was a recommendation of the three-branch Behavioral Health Council. Governor Little adopted the recommendation as part of his Leading Idaho plan which expanded behavioral health resources by $50 million in Idaho. The Governor's request was fully funded by the Legislature during its 2022 session and included in IDOC’s budget. A second opportunity for clinicians interested in serving incarcerated individuals will follow later this year.
More information about the trauma intervention program, including the application for funding, is available on IDOC’s website.
