The Experiences of Marriage and Family Therapists Working in Incarcerated Settings

COVID-19 Inspired Relational Telemental Health Services for Incarcerated Individuals and Their Families

“…There are a number of areas to explore in future practice and research, including issues related to insurance reimbursement, training and employment of MFTs, development of best practices, and development of an evidence base for use of TMH in corrections systems. We recommend five TMH advancements that can further its usage, including: (1) Advocating passage of legislation that would make insurance companies continue TMH coverage even after COVID-19, as well as TMH payment parity, which would allow MFTs to reach a larger proportion of underserved individuals; (2) Facilitating the graduate training—via coursework and clinical experiences—of MFTs in working with incarcerated individuals, especially in treating relational concerns; (3) Increasing the number of MFTs employed in the criminal justice system, as currently this is rare (Datchi et al, 2016 ; Tadros & Finney, 2018 , 2019 ; Tadros, Schleiden, et al, 2020 ), but it would allow for more adequate relational therapeutic services that could be used regularly instead of just during times of crisis (Smith et al, 2020 ); (4) Incorporating collaboration between professionals on best practices for relational TMH in corrections settings, including the creation of recommendations and guidelines for providing optimal client care, and (5) Creating policies for practice that are sensitive to the fact that social distancing is a privilege that incarcerated people do not have.…”

Treating Mental Illness and Relational Concerns in Incarcerated Settings

“…The incarcerated population is considered an underserved population, specifically in reference to accessing and acquiring mental health services (Tadros & Finney, 2018, 2019; Tadros, et al, 2020b). While awareness of mental illness and treatments continue to advance, the incarceration and mental health statistics do not follow suit as mental illness is at an all-time high within the criminal justice system (Tala et al, 2017).…”

“…There is a shortage of literature examining the role of family therapy in incarcerated samples. Despite providing couple and family community–based services, these service professionals seldomly work within adult criminal justice settings (Datchi et al, 2016; Tadros et al, 2020b). Traditionally, family services have not been provided in incarcerated facilities (Datchi & Sexton, 2013; Datchi et al, 2016; Tadros et al, 2020b, 2021; Tadros & Ogden, 2020).…”

“…Despite providing couple and family community–based services, these service professionals seldomly work within adult criminal justice settings (Datchi et al, 2016; Tadros et al, 2020b). Traditionally, family services have not been provided in incarcerated facilities (Datchi & Sexton, 2013; Datchi et al, 2016; Tadros et al, 2020b, 2021; Tadros & Ogden, 2020). While reviewing the literature, only a few articles discussed family therapy in the incarcerated setting.…”

“…Treating mental illness and relational concerns within the incarcerated setting serves to reduce recidivism and allow for a healthier integration back into the family system (Lancaster et al, 2011). Incarcerated individuals are an extremely underserved population, particularly in regard to receiving mental health and family services (Tadros et al, 2020b). Moreover, the incarcerated population is considered a special population; thus, a clinician needs to be well-informed and knowledgeable on unique differences, needs, challenges, and obstacles experienced by this population (Tadros et al, 2021).…”