Forensic Psychology Students Take Top Honors at MHCC

Two Forensic Psychology students took top honors at the Mental Health in Corrections Consortium (MHCC) 2009 Symposium, held April 28 and 29 in Kansas City, Mo., making this the second consecutive year that Chicago School students have been recognized for outstanding poster presentations.

Dr. Michelle Hoy-Watkins annually assigns students in her Correctional Psychology in Forensic Settings course to develop posters that represent an issue in forensic psychology; this year’s students developed model programs for inmates or prison staff.

Awards for Outstanding Scholarship—each carrying prize money of $500—went to Latoya Wells for her presentation, “Veterans in Prison Program: A Cognitive Behavior Therapy Approach,” and to Angela Severson, who presented on “Fostering Fatherhood: Fostering Attachment Between Incarcerated Fathers and Their Children.”

Over the past 18 years, MHCC has become dedicated to continued professional development of mental health providers within the criminal justice system. The annual symposium is one of the few national training events devoted entirely to mental health and substance abuse issues in correctional settings. This is the third year that Chicago School students have presented.