The Washington Department of Corrections (WA DOC) is facing an occupational health crisis among staff working in Restrictive Housing Units (RHUs), where chronic understaffing, high exposure to trauma, and limited training create unsafe, unsustainable environments. In 2022, WA DOC began working with Amend at UCSF (“Amend”) to implement their Resource Team intervention in pilot RHUs in three men’s prisons. Developed by Amend with its partners in the Norwegian Correctional Service, the Resource Team model is staff-intensive, ensuring that RHUs are not understaffed. Staff participating in the Resource Team receive extensive training in human needs and behavior change, de-escalation communication, and dynamic risk assessment to safely plan and execute goal-oriented interactions with incarcerated people. Resource Team staff also work closely with healthcare and mental health partners and receive ongoing peer mentorship and coaching via Amend’s network of Resource Team professionals. This presentation will describe the Resource Team model, the WA DOC-Amend collaboration, and positive emerging outcomes on staff and incarcerated participants.
Moderated by Ivan Calder, Chair, Healthcare Network, ICPA, United States
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Jessica Osorio
Implementation Director, Amend at UCSF, United States
Jessica Osorio is the Implementation Director with Amend at UCSF. In this role, she works closely with Department of Corrections partners to design and implement training and culture change initiatives that promote health, dignity, and human-centered practices in correctional facilities. She earned her BA in International Development from UC Berkeley and her MA in International Administration and Public Policy from the University of Denver. Jessica has over 14 years of experience working in public health, with a career-long focus on initiatives to achieve health equity. After working in global health for five years, Jessica worked in transitional case management and clinical supervision at San Quentin Reentry Center and Alameda County Probation. Immediately before joining Amend, Jessica was the Contra Costa County HIV/AIDS and STD Program Director for six years, where she led surveillance, prevention, clinical quality management, and comprehensive case management teams.
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Captain Paul Daniel
Captain, WA Department of Corrections, United States
Captain Paul Daniel has worked for the Washington Department of Corrections since 2007 and has held a range of positions in custody, classification, and management. Through his work at Washington State Penitentiary, Captain Daniel has been directly involved as a leader in the WA Way’s correctional culture change efforts and the Resource Team intervention, focusing on staff wellness and human-centered approaches to custody. He believes the U.S. prison system has made meaningful progress in recent years and is excited to support its continued growth through partnership with Amend and international colleagues.
