I need assistance with this discussion answer from a classmate How would you respond As I continue to learn more about the different theories and programs used in correctional psychology, I recognize the importance of having a collaboration of the different areas of psychology work together. In the articleBeyond Borders in Applied Psychology,it spoke about the diversity of psychology and how easy it is to become divided or loyal to one theory or approach. While it is important to have specialists we should also be open to learning about different techniques that assist clients. There is also overlap in the goals for clients in different fields, and having colleagues in different fields allows us to grow as professionals and can benefit our clients.

In the article about learning from previous research, I learned the importance of reviewing past studies and how by building a foundation we can learn from both mistakes and progress. To apply this to my current project and field of study, I look at where the correctional system has been the shift in addressing behavioral modification, and how positive reinforcement and relationship building is showing more progress than strict authoritative discipline.

In my current job position, I work in a pre-release center, similar to a transitional living or halfway house, our focus is to assist felons' transition back into the community and attempt to lower recidivism in their lives. While the article by Lulinski and Heller focused on individuals leaving mental health facilities there are similarities in assisting the felons to transition into the community and being able to access community resources. Most of the felons that come to our facility have spent a minimum of 6 months and up to 20 years of incarceration. Some have been involved with in-house recovery programs, to assist with addiction issues, but most have been accustomed to living in a facility. Being able to assist them and work on behavior modification has its challenges. Many will struggle to live independently, which is why they come to our facility. Being able to apply the different fields of psychology is beneficial as these individuals can have multiple needs to be addressed including social support, mental health, financial, and educational.

Resources:

Hammond, N. & Palmer, N. (2021). Beyond borders in applied psychology.Psychologist,22-25.

Lulinski, A., & Heller, T. (2021). Community capacity to provide mental/behavioral health services with IDD transitioning from state-operated developmental centers.Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities,59(3), 224-238.

Rigotti, T., De Cuyper, N., & Sekiguchi, T. (2020). The corona crisis: What can we learn from earlier studies in applied psychology?Applied Psychology,69(3), 1-6.