National group upgrades Lincoln Hills program
Conditions at the state’s troubled youth prison are showing signs of improvement with an endorsement from a national group that rates mental health training programs in correctional institutions and elsewhere.
The American Psychological Association on Tuesday said the Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls’ psychology internship program was now in good standing and in compliance with industry regulations that govern safety, quality and credibility.
The step removed the program’s probationary status, which had put its 23-year accreditation from the APA in jeopardy. The APA put the prison’s program on notice over excessive caseloads, inconsistent supervision, ethical lapses by staff and other issues.
Like the broader prison complex, the program had been plagued with staff shortages and turnover since state and federal law enforcement authorities began investigating allegations of inmate abuse and other crimes at the facility in 2015.
Four people have overseen the internship program since 2015. Three left amid misconduct allegations and two later surrendered their licenses to practice in the state.
One of the supervisors was fired for taking pictures of interns in a hotel room while wearing only his underwear and a T-shirt.
Department of Corrections officials in May provided the APA with nearly 300 pages of documents outlining steps to address the APA’s concerns, including revisions to intern schedules to emphasize training and to a guide telling prospective interns what to expect.
Corrections officials plan to continue the internship program this fall despite plans to close the youth prison in Irma and open regional facilities by 2021.
“We foresee an immense amount of planning and program development as we plan for this future transition,” internship supervisor Melissa Parrent wrote in a letter to applicants in January. “However, we do not expect any immediate changes that will negatively impact our ability to provide quality training and meet the guidelines of APA.”
Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook said the APA decision confirmed “what we have long known” — that the complex “continues to provide quality mental health services to juveniles and an outstanding learning experience for psychology interns in line with APA accreditation requirements.”
Cook said the department has added mental health staff at the complex, overhauled intern evaluations, boosted training opportunities for interns and taken other steps to address APA concerns.