Diagnosing and Supporting People with Autism in Adult and Juvenile Facilities
Presented by NCCHC's Juvenile Health Committee
Live Broadcast: Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 10-11am Central Time
Autism diagnoses have surged in the general population, now affecting 1 in 31 children. This trend is mirrored in correctional settings, where an estimated 18% of incarcerated individuals are diagnosed with autism. Despite its prevalence, autism often goes unrecognized in these environments, leading to significant distress and functional challenges for affected individuals, as well as disruptions within housing units and across facilities. As a disorder, autism is not well understood among custody staff and some clinicians. This presentation will offer a clinical and neuroscience-based overview of autism to help correctional health professionals and administrators better recognize, manage, and support individuals with autism in correctional settings.
Learning Objectives
-Review diagnostic criteria and behavioral markers of autism in corrections
-Describe clinical interventions for people diagnosed with autism and living in correctional settings
-Discuss three interventions for appropriate management of people who are diagnosed with autism
Presenter
Melissa DeFilippis, MD is an associate professor of Psychiatry and the Director of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Division at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in Galveston, TX. She directs and supervises the department’s Developmental Disorders clinic, assessing and treating patients with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. She is the primary investigator for the Youth Depression Suicide Network at UTMB, a state-funded network of 12 health-related institutions in Texas.She is also the medical director of UTMB’s CPAN program, a phone consultation program serving primary care providers who treat children in the region. Dr. DeFilippis is a past president of the Texas Society of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and currently serves as UTMB’s Chief of Staff. She has multiple peer-reviewed publications on pediatric mood disorders and on autism spectrum disorder in children and adolescents, and she has been invited to speak both nationally and internationally about treatment challenges in these patient populations. Dr. DeFilippis is dedicated to residency education and teaching, and she has been honored several times with excellence in resident teaching awards within her department.
David Stephens, PsyD is a Partner and Senior Expert with Falcon, Inc. He has been the Dean of the School of Professional Psychology at University of the Rockies, a consultant with NRI, and is a member of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture. In his role at Falccon, he is responsible for representing the company at conferences and events for entities such as the National Sheriffs' Association, National Association of Counties, and Correctional Leaders Association. He also makes educational presentations at national and international conferences. Finally, he is an active member on various corporate projects at both the state and county level, and has worked on projects as diverse as reducing restrictive housing, designing jails for large and small metropolitan counties, and studying the behavioral programs of various state and county jurisdictions. Dr. Stephens is passionate about identifying and implementing best behavioral health practices that will improve the lives and functioning of people who are or have been incarcerated.
Webinar Fee:
$69 fee/$59 for CCHP's - registration required. Registration includes access to the PPT slide presentation, webinar recording, and CE credit – 1.00 hour for ACCME, ANCC, APA, and CCHP.
Continuing education credit (1.00 hour) available for:
Nurses: The National Commission on Correctional Health Care is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. NCCHC designates this educational activity for 1.0 contact hour. Nurses must attend the entire program to receive credit.
Physicians: The National Commission on Correctional Health Care is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
NCCHC designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Psychologists: The National Commission on Correctional Health Care is approved by the American Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. NCCHC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This educational activity has been approved for up to 1.00 hour of credit.
CCHPs: Certified Correctional Health Professionals may earn up to 1.00 contact hour of Category I continuing education for recertification.
Social Workers, counselors and others: When evaluating the presentation, select the “General” category, print your certificate, and use it to report directly to your certifying board.
Disclosure Statement
In accordance with the disclosure policy of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care, everyone who is in a position to control the educational content of the Diagnosing and Supporting People with Autism in Adult and Juvenile Facilities webinar (including planners, speakers, and moderators) has been asked to disclose all relevant financial interests, all affiliations, or other financial relationships within 24 months (1) with the manufacturers of any commercial product(s) and/or provider(s) of commercial services discussed in an educational presentation and (2) with any ineligible companies. Such disclosure is not intended to suggest or condone bias in any presentation but rather is elicited to provide information that attendees might deem important to their evaluation of an educational presentation. All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated prior to this activity. No individuals have disclosed a relevant financial relationship with any ineligible companies/commercial interests.
Financial Disclosure:
Faculty Disclosures
None of the speakers listed above have any financial relationships with ineligible companies/commercial interests to disclose.
NCCHC Education Committee
The NCCHC Education Committee members have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.
Sylvie Stacy, MD, MPH, CCHP-CP (Chair)
Joel Andrade, PhD, LICSW, CCHP-MH
Sharen Barboza, PhD, CCHP-MH
David Dawdy, MA, LLP, CCHP
LaToya Duckworth, RN, BSN, MHA, CCHP-RN
Keith Ivens, MD
Kenya Key, PsyD, CCHP-MH
Andrea Knittel, MD, PhD
Susan Laffan, RN, CCHP-RN, CCHP-A
Marci MacKenzie, PhD, LCSW, CCHP
Jim Martin, MPSA, CCHP
Pauline Marcussen, DHA, RHIA, CCHP
Rebecca Rock, PsyD, CCHP-MH
Lori Roscoe, PhD, DNP, CCHP-RN
Deborah Shelton, PhD, RN-C, CCHP
Nancy White, LPC, MA
Alysse Wurcel, MD
Staff Liaisons: Toyin Alaka, Kim Sterling, MBA, CAE