The American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies - Webinar

Realizing Higher Levels of Staff Wellness and Safety: Lessons from the Me Too Movement (MEMBERS ONLY)

Presented by Harmony Goorley

This webinar is only available to members
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Webinar Objectives:

Recognize signs of a sexually hostile environment.
Develop methods for combating staff complacency related to disciplinary actions for inmates committing sexual misconduct.
Analyze risks of minimalizing sexual misconduct.

Description:

Plaintiffs in separate federal lawsuits are shedding light into the prevalence of sexual abuse perpetrated against female staffers in correctional facilities. These separate lawsuits contain similar complaints – female staffers being subjected to catcalls, sexually explicit comments, threats of rape, inmates intentionally masturbating in front of them, unwanted fondling, as well as sexual harassment from colleagues. Staff silently witnessing, encouraging, or even perpetrating sexually aggressive behavior become sponsors of hostile sexual attitudes. Hostile attitudes will undoubtedly result in additional acts of custodial aggression (sexual or otherwise) and are especially dangerous for inmates incarcerated for sexual offenses. Being victims of sexually aggressive behavior while at work decreases job satisfaction, and exacerbates stress and trauma responses of an already strained and vulnerable workforce. A multitude of reasons, including the financial costs of poor retention rates and substantial negative repercussions to the organizational climate, contribute to staff wellness remaining a critical issue for correctional systems today. Combating sexual aggression towards staff is a crucial step towards elevating the emotional, psychological, and physical health of employees, particularly female staffers. This webinar is designed to help attendees recognize signs of a sexually hostile environment, understand the roots of and develop methods for combating complacency in terms of disciplining sexually aggressive behavior from inmates and employees. Attendees will also analyze the danger in minimizing sexual misconduct on an individual and systematic level.

A post-test, handout, and certificate of completion will be provided upon completion of this one-hour webinar.

Presenter Biography:

Harmony Goorley obtained her Masters of Forensic Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology with a concentration in corrections. She later became a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider, and Certified Correctional Health Professional. In 2005, she began working with individuals on the autism spectrum and speaks nationally on the effective management of inmates on the autism spectrum. She remains focused on elevating care for severely mentally-ill and special needs populations. She has 10 years of jail and civil commitment experience, is a dedicated corrections clinician well-versed in treatment team management, suicide prevention, and is highly specialized in the treatment of Sexually Violent Persons and the supervision of severely personality disordered prisoners. She has held supervisory positions in civil commitment, corrections, and inpatient residential treatment facilities, as well as serving clients in addiction recovery. Harmony is also a member of the American Correctional Association’s Staff Wellness Committee, dedicated to bringing awareness to the emotional, psychological, and physical challenges experienced by correctional professionals today. Harmony currently works for Falcon Inc., an innovative team of highly experienced and progressive correctional mental health specialists aimed at solving the biggest challenges faced by correctional behavioral healthcare. http://www.falconinc.com/

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