Please join us in welcoming Dr. John Cochran as Chair of the Department of Criminology, and Dr. Greg Teague as Chair of the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy starting August 7, 2019.

Dr. Cochran is a Professor in the Department of Criminology. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Florida. His teaching and research interests include micro-social theories of criminal behavior, macro-social theories of crime and crime control, assessments of issues regarding the legitimacy of capital punishment, and quantitative data collection and analysis. Dr. Cochran has served as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the USF College of Arts & Sciences, and Associate Chair of the Department of Criminology.

 

Dr. Teague is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law & Policy. He received his PhD in Clinical Psychology and Public Practice from Harvard University. His research interests include a range of issues in behavioral health services research. His teaching focuses on evidence-based practice in behavioral healthcare. He has been active in faculty governance at USF, having served as president first of the USF Faculty Senate, then of the USF System Faculty Council, as USF Trustee, and as chair of several university-wide ad hoc committees.

Since 2005, the Summer Research Institute at the Florida Mental Health Institute (SRI@FMHI) has provided research skills and connections to some of the top students in the field of psychology, behavioral health, and criminal justice from across the country. Currently funded by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) led by Drs. Kathleen Moore, Roger Peters, and Bryanna Fox, the program is an intensive 11-week program over the Summer. Undergraduate students in the program complete an independent research project while working with distinguished faculty members from departments primarily within our college including Mental Health Law and Policy (MHLP), Child and Family Studies (CFS), Criminology, School of Social Work. Full story including a spotlight of three of the students can be viewed here.

All twelve of the scholars will be presenting their summer research on Wednesday, July 31 from 1:00 - 4:00pm in the MHC Training Room 2625A. There will be a reception immediately following with refreshments being served.

For the 6th year, Mark Engelhardt (Faculty-MHLP) led the Ireland Study Abroad Program in Behavioral Healthcare at the prestigious Trinity College, Dublin and a cultural experience to the west coast of Ireland. The 8 students representing 5 different USF majors, were immersed in classroom lectures by world class faculty including Dr. Sam Tsemberis, founder of Housing First, an internationally recognized evidenced-based practice; Dr. Steve Gaetz, York University and CEO of the Homeless Hub (Canada); Melanie Redman, CEO of A Way Home Canada, Dr. Paula Mayock, Dept. of Social Policy, Trinity College and Mike Allen, Director of Advocacy, Focus Ireland.

The students were engaged in field experiences to successful homeless programs concentrating on recovery, employment, housing and community supports. They also visited the Midlands Simon Community in Athlone, concentrating on rural homelessness. Michael O'Connor, an educator from Killarney, discussed Irish history, politics, religion, language, and people with the students in week two throughout Galway, Dingle, Aran Islands (photo) and Killarney, where a day long Fourth of July celebration and parade is hosted with Irish- Americans each year.

Based on student journals, testimony and final essays, Mark Engelhardt stated "Study Abroad is a game changer for many students who grow, mature, open their eyes to new experiences, learn about global healthcare, international politics, gain new friendships, and a bit of laughter ("Craic" in Irish) along the way".

On July 24th, RMHC faculty Dr. Tammy Jorgensen Smith presented a webcast to discuss preliminary study findings from a customized employment grant awarded to the University of South Florida from the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIMH/NIH). The grant, Achieving Competitive Customized Employment through Specialized Services (ACCESS) is testing customized employment as an intervention to determine its impact on the competitive integrated employment outcomes for adults with autism over the age of 22. The webcast can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3104Jpn.

Recently we started using Microsoft Power BI in the Baker Act Reporting Center. We would like to identify people in CBCS who are using or who may want to use this Microsoft product. There are some additional features we are considering that may be of interest to others. The cost structure for these additional features is such that it would be advantageous for those of us using Microsoft Power BI to coordinate and consider the use of these features. Plus, we want to start a users' group so that we can share and learn from each other! Please contact Dan Ringhoff at dringhof@usf.edu if you are interested.

MHLP will be hosting its 2019 Continuing Education Forensic Training Series for Mental Health Professionals in early August. Instruction in forensic evaluation of adults and juveniles involved in the legal system is complemented with focused training on assessing and managing patients' risk for violence in acute long-term care settings. The Forensic Evaluation and Juvenile Justice training will take place from August 12 - 13, 2019. The Florida Adult Forensic Examiner Training will be held from August 15 - 17, 2019. Both training sessions will be held in the USF Gibbons Alumni Center- Traditions Hall. For more information, visit the website(s) above or email CBCSMarketing@usf.edu

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