BOP Program Statement 5310.17 § 3

Psychology Services Departments are responsible for utilizing their expertise as behavioral

scientists to provide informed clinical decisions and professional recommendations. Clinical

decisions are the sole province of the responsible clinician and/or supervisory psychologist(s), and

are not to be countermanded by non-clinicians. To deliver services efficiently and effectively, the

Psychology Services Department will be:

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■ Staffed to meet the vital functions, congressional and Department of Justice mandates,

accreditation standards, and ethical guidelines affecting the department.

■ Staffed according to the mission and security of the facility and the specific treatment and

reentry needs of the inmate population.

■ Staffed with qualified, licensed or license eligible, doctoral level psychologists.

■ Staffed with treatment specialists who are qualified in their specific area of treatment; e.g.,

mental health treatment, sex offender treatment.

■ Organized as a separate department, ordinarily centralized according to the treatment needs,

mission, and structure of the facility.

■ Provided with space and resources to provide psychological treatment and programs.

■ Only assigned duties consistent with their clinical training, applicable ethical standards, and

mental health role in the correctional facility (i.e., similar to physicians, attorneys and

chaplains) during non-emergency situations (i.e., situations not requiring an immediate

response or activation of the institution’s emergency plans). This stipulation does not apply to

administrative support staff in the department.

■ Expected to respond and assume duties wherever needed and assigned during emergency

situations. As soon as possible during an institution emergency, Psychology Services staff

should be used consistent with their clinical role and training; e.g., monitoring and intervention

with the seriously mentally ill, assisting with the clinical care of inmates in restrictive housing,

assessment and intervention with staff concerning the unique stressors in a crisis situation (i.e.,

CST, EAP). During emergency situations, psychologists should be active in the institution –

observing inmates, consulting with staff, and intervening to achieve optimal inmate

management.

a. Organizational Structure

(1) Central Office Psychology Services Branch. The Psychology Services Branch (Branch) is a

component of the Reentry Services Division in Central Office. The Branch consists of the

following sections: Drug Treatment Programs; Sex Offender Programs; Mental Health Programs;

Evaluations; Community Treatment Services; Clinical Education and Workforce Development;

and Psychology Information Systems. The Branch is responsible for directing and supporting

Psychology Services in the Bureau by:

■ Developing, interpreting, and administering Psychology Services policies and procedures

consistent with sound correctional management principles, evidence-based psychological

practices, and successful inmate reentry strategies.

■ Providing administrative support for Psychology Services Departments by submitting annual

budget requests; preparing Psychology Services staffing requests; offering national training

events and continuing professional education opportunities; and providing general technical

assistance and support.

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■ Advancing Psychology Services in the Bureau through the development and implementation of

Strategic Plans, pilot projects, field trials, and proposals and reports for Executive Staff.

■ Contributing to quality assurance in Psychology Services by collaborating with the Program

Review Division to develop Program Review Guidelines; conducting remote and on-site

quality assurance reviews of key programming areas; completing psychological reconstructions

following an inmate suicide; and conducting peer reviews of Chief Psychologists.

■ Serving as a consultant for the Regions on Psychology Services matters, to include, but not

limited to recruitment, selection, and retention of psychologists and treatment specialists, policy

interpretation, program evaluation, and Administrative Remedies.

In addition, the Branch is responsible for the provision of community-based treatment services for

inmates transitioning through Residential Reentry Centers (RRCs) and Home Confinement.

Community Treatment Services (CTS) includes assessment and treatment of inmates with

substance use disorders, mental illnesses and/or a history of sexual offending. CTS is described in

the Program Statement Community Transitional Drug Abuse Treatment.

(2) Chief Psychologist/Deputy Chief Psychologist. Every institution must have a licensed Chief

Psychologist, who administers and monitors the implementation of psychology-related operations.

The Chief Psychologist oversees clinical and administrative services for the department;

communicates with the Branch regarding the needs of the department; ensures the appropriate use

of Psychology Services funds and resources; provides administrative supervision for direct

subordinates; and ensures the provision of clinical supervision for all clinicians in the department,

to include ensuring non-licensed psychologists receive supervision as required by the state

licensing board to obtain licensure.

Chief Psychologists also provide direct clinical services for inmates and share their psychological

expertise through training and consultation. Chief Psychologists may serve as the institution’s

Employee Assistance Program Coordinator, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, and/or Mental Health

Treatment Coordinator. The size of the Psychology Services department and the complexity of the

institution’s mission determines the proportion of the Chief Psychologist’s time spent on

administrative functions versus direct clinical services.

Most correctional complexes also have a Deputy Chief Psychologist(s), who assumes

responsibility for a portion of the functions listed above. Chief Psychologist and Deputy Chief

Psychologist positions are critical to the successful operation of the Psychology Services

Department. Therefore, every effort shall be made to fill these positions in a timely manner (i.e.,

within six months).

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(3) Program Coordinator. Program coordinators are psychologists who administer and oversee

specific Psychology Treatment Programs; e.g., Challenge Program, Drug Abuse Program (DAP),

Mental Health Step Down Unit, Resolve Program, Sex Offender Management Program (SOMP),

or other agency-approved specialized programs. Program coordinators manage all aspects of a

Psychology Treatment Program, ensure compliance with applicable policies, and provide both

clinical and administrative supervision to subordinate staff as outlined in relevant Program

Statements. Program coordinators must be fully aware of the policies, procedures, and evidence-based practices associated with their program and they must be prepared to share this expertise

with their subordinates. Specific duties of program coordinators are detailed in applicable position

descriptions and policies, to include: Early Release Procedures Under 18 U.S.C. 3621(e),

Psychology Treatment Programs, Sex Offender Programs, and Treatment and Care of

Inmates with Mental Illness. Program coordinator positions are critical to the successful

operation of Psychology Treatment Programs and their primary responsibility is to their assigned

program; therefore, every effort shall be made to fill these positions in a timely manner (i.e., within

six months).

(4) Treatment Specialists. Under the clinical supervision of a program coordinator, or other

supervisory psychologist, treatment specialists deliver an array of mental health services to include

individual and group treatment for inmates in a specific Psychology Treatment Program.

Treatment specialists also interact with correctional staff, unit staff, and work supervisors to

identify issues that should receive attention in treatment and communicate ways staff can support

positive treatment gains for participants. Specific duties of treatment specialists are detailed in

applicable position descriptions and policies, to include: Psychology Treatment Programs, Sex

Offender Programs, and Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental Illness. Treatment

specialists are critical to the effective operation of Psychology Treatment Programs; therefore,

every effort shall be made to fill these positions in a timely manner (i.e., within six months).

(5) Advanced Care Level Psychologists. Advanced Care Level Psychologists are assigned to

provide direct clinical services to inmates with mental illness and a need for services at or above

the CARE2-MH level. These services may be provided on an outpatient basis, or within the

context of a mental health-related Psychology Treatment Program. Advanced Care Level

Psychologists providing outpatient services may be assigned the role of Mental Health Treatment

Coordinator, as described in the Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental Illness policy.

Due to their critical clinical role in providing priority services, every effort shall be made to fill

these positions in a timely manner (i.e., within six months).

(6) Restrictive Housing Psychologists. Restrictive housing psychologists are assigned to provide

direct clinical services for inmates in restrictive housing settings, to include the Administrative

Maximum Unit (ADX), Special Management Units (SMU), or SHU. Restrictive housing

psychologists spend the bulk of their time delivering services in these settings, to include

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screenings, evaluations, pre-treatment, and treatment services. Specific duties of restrictive

housing psychologists are noted in this policy, as well as in the following policies as applicable:

Control Unit Programs, Inmate Security Designation and Custody Classification, Special

Management Units, and Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental Illness. Due to the

importance of ensuring mental health service delivery in restrictive housing settings, every effort

shall be made to fill these positions in a timely manner (i.e., within six months).

(7) Forensic Psychologists. Forensic psychologists are assigned to conduct court-ordered

outpatient and inpatient forensic evaluations. Specific duties of forensic psychologists are detailed

in the Forensic and Other Mental Health Evaluations policy. Forensic psychologists are Central

Office positions detailed to specific institutions to fulfill the Bureau’s forensic evaluation program

mission. Forensic psychologists may perform Psychology Services priority list services at their

institution, when these services do not interfere with the primary duties of their position.

(8) Staff Psychologists. Staff psychologists are assigned to provide routine clinical services for

the inmate population. Staff psychologist duties may include any services in the Psychology

Services priority list contained in, or reasonably related to, their position description. The major

duties of staff psychologists include:

■ Psychological assessment and evaluation.

■ Psychotherapy.

■ Staff consultation.

■ Training and supervision of graduate-level psychology trainees, practicum and intern students,

and para-professional counselors.

■ Research/program evaluation.

■ Administration of Psychology Services programs; e.g., serving as the institution’s Mental

Health Treatment Coordinator as defined in the Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental

Illness policy or as the Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator as defined in the Suicide

Prevention Program policy.

Due to staff psychologists’ critical role in providing priority services for the inmate population,

every effort shall be made to fill these positions in a timely manner (i.e., within six months).

(9) Training Positions. Psychology Services training positions fulfill a vital role in the Bureau,

by supporting the development of well-trained, highly qualified correctional psychologists.

Training positions include: internship program coordinators, post-doctoral residents, pre-doctoral

psychology interns, and practicum graduate students appointed under Student Temporary

Employment authority.

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Internship program coordinators have responsibility for the administration of an Executive Staff-approved psychology internship program, including the process of recruitment and selection of

students, the development and implementation of student training, the ongoing evaluation of the

program, and compliance with American Psychological Association and Association of Psychology

Internship Centers accreditation standards, in addition to other administrative and clinical duties.

At the discretion of the Chief Psychologist the clinical supervision of post-doctoral residents and

practicum graduate students may be delegated to a licensed psychologist(s) in the department who

expresses an interest in training students. Central Office-controlled training positions support

specific Department of Justice and/or Bureau goals. Additional information regarding the Bureau's

Psychology Services clinical education programs is contained in this policy.

(10) Psychology Technicians and Secretaries. Psychology technicians and secretaries provide

administrative support for the delivery of clinical and consultative services. Psychology Services

administrative support functions include, but are not limited to, scheduling appointments, entering

PDS data, running SENTRY and PDS rosters, preparing tracking reports for programs and

services, maintaining record keeping and filing systems, fielding telephone calls, and other clerical

duties. In addition, if appropriately qualified, psychology technicians may administer and score a

variety of psychological tests.

b. Financial Management. The Chief Psychologist has the primary responsibility of the

management of Psychology Services funds at the institution level. The Chief Psychologist, with

the Warden’s approval, may delegate Cost Center Manager authority to a Program Coordinator.

(1) Operating Funds. The Branch is responsible for submitting annual budget requests for PTPs

and other specialty program funding, to include funding for practicum and psychology pre-doctoral

internship programs, forensic evaluation programs, SMU programs, CARE3-MH sites. Typically,

funding is provided based upon standardized formulas developed within the Branch. Branch

approval is required to reprogram these funds.

Drug abuse programs, sex offender programs, and inmate trust funds are mandated for specific

program areas and are used only to fund activities related to these programs. Use of these funds

for other programs or to offset deficits in other cost centers is not permitted.

All programs identified as Drug Abuse Programs are funded and paid for from local drug treatment

funds. Drug Abuse Programs include Drug Education, the Nonresidential Drug Abuse Program

(NRDAP), the Residential Drug Abuse Program (RDAP), and the Challenge Program. Funds for

sex offender programs are provided within the general Psychology Services budget.

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(2) Tangible Incentives in PTPs. Tangible incentives are funded by the Trust Fund. Monetary

program completion awards as outlined in applicable policies (i.e., Psychology Treatment

Programs and Treatment and Care of Inmates with Mental Illness) are deposited to the

inmate’s commissary account. Monetary awards should only be given in conjunction with a

participant’s successful completion of PTP phases or goals defined in their treatment plans.

Tangible incentives such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, food items (e.g., snacks, popcorn, drinks) or mugs

with the program logo may be appropriate. The selection of tangible incentives to be offered at the

institution is at the Warden’s discretion. Tangible incentives are provided as special recognition

for participants who demonstrate behaviors reflecting the attitudes of change, a commitment to

treatment, conformity with program norms, progress on treatment plan goals, and behaviors that

are expected in the general society. Behaviors which merit tangible incentives are clearly

documented in PDS. These incentives are separate from the monetary awards for phase

completion.

(3) Positions. Branch approval is also required for the reprogramming of any Psychology Services

positions. Authorized positions in drug treatment cost centers are funded at 100%, due to ongoing

government-wide initiatives related to drug abuse treatment. Salary savings generated by leaving a

drug treatment position vacant cannot be utilized for other institution requirements.

(4) Staff Training. National training project codes have been established to fund all Psychology

Services training. The Branch submits annual requests for national training funds and disperses

these funds in a manner consistent with the Psychology Services mission; i.e., training focused on

relevant clinical populations and evidence-based practices. Psychology Services operating funds

are not to be utilized to fund staff training.