DHS opens Fall lecture series with look at prisoner re-entry planning for offenders with mental illness

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL -- People leaving incarceration face a variety of challenges even without a diagnosis of mental illness. But for those who face mental health issues, re-entry into society can be quite troublesome. That is the topic in the first of the 2014 Fall Lecture Series presented by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS).

“The Offender with Mental Disabilities: Critical Issues in Correctional Mental Health and Planning for Successful Reentry” will be presented Tuesday, August 26, 2014 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive in Oklahoma City.

Henry Dlugacz, MSW, JD, will explore strategies for successful reentry planning, including evidence-based practices which promote recovery.

Dlugacz is an attorney and social worker who has devoted most of his 30-year career to improving correctional mental health and reentry services in the United States. He is a clinical assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at New York Medical College, a partner in the New York law-firm of Beldock Levine and Hoffman LLP, and an adjunct professor of law at New York Law School.

The Practice and Policy Lecture Series has been developed to provide thought-provoking presentations on Oklahoma's emerging policy issues, trends and best practices. The series is sponsored by the DHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics and the University of Oklahoma Center for Public Management with the goal of providing the best educational opportunities available in a forum that offers participants an opportunity to question, share and learn from each other. 

All lectures are free and open to the public. For more information contact the Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at (405) 521-3552 or visit the Practice and Policy Lecture Series website. 

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