Alumni Insights: The Role of a Correctional Counselor

For our next #DuqAlumniInsights webinar, we’ll hear from Josh Young, GE'09, on his role as a correctional counselor. At their core, all counselors aim to help people with family, personal, and mental health problems. Learn about the unique role of mental health workers in day to day practice at a county jail and how it differs from traditional mental health care. After attending this webinar you will: Understand the importance of correctional mental health care Have knowledge about the day to day routine of working in a correctional setting Understand the differing mental health needs of an underserved population of people Josh Young is the Telemental Health & Community Outreach Specialist for Advanced Correctional Healthcare, the nation’s largest jail healthcare provider. The ability to provide telemental health in correctional facilities during the current pandemic has been critical. Previously, he served as a behavioral health provider for two internal medicine offices, as well as the mental health provider for the Woodford County Jail. While obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Applied Psychology from Penn State, Josh interned for a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, which sparked his interest in pursuing a mental health career in counseling. He subsequently graduated from Duquesne, obtaining a Master’s of Education in Community Counseling. Josh has over a decade of experience advising, coaching, counseling, and instructing students and patients. He has worked in correctional facility, elementary school, private practice, psychiatric hospital, substance abuse treatment center, and university settings. His background includes specialties in addictions/substance abuse, anger management, children/adolescents, college counseling, crisis, depression, group work, mental illness, school counseling, and suicide.