The Idaho Department of Correction is using part of $500 million it received to begin a new program to help staff members and prisoners deal with trauma, burnout and stress.
The money was approved during the 2022 legislative session and was included in the department’s budget. It was part of Gov. Brad Little’s Leading Idaho plan that expanded mental health resources in the state by $50 million.
According to the department, people who work in the correctional industry experience high levels of stress, burnout and other mental health-related consequences. Correction staff also have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide compared to people in the general working-age population.
Currently, the department is seeking health care providers who can deliver holistic solutions that address corrections fatigue, trauma and stress.
The first phase of the 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.
Qualified professionals who are eligible to apply for funding through the trauma intervention program include licensed psychologists, master’s level social workers, professional counselors, and other credentialed individuals who have experience treating psychological trauma and stress.
The program was a recommendation of the three-branch Behavioral Health Council. A second opportunity for clinicians interested in serving incarcerated residents will follow later this year. (Lewiston Tribune)
