An Out-of-the-Ordinary Collaboration:
WCU’s Community Mental Health Services Clinic Partners With Philadelphia Court System to Provide Post-Trial Support to Jurors
Psychological First Aid (PFA) to be provided on a confidential basis
Dr. Michele Pole (center) is pictured with several doctoral students who provide support to clients while working in WCU’s Community Mental Health Services (CMHS) clinic.
As part of the new program, individuals who have served on criminal cases or civil cases through the Philadelphia court system are welcome to take advantage of three, free, 30-minute telephone sessions with Dr. Michele Pole, a licensed psychologist who specializes in trauma and PTSD and leads CMHS as its director. Under the supervision of Dr. Pole, doctoral student clinicians, who are trained in trauma-informed approaches and psychological first aid, also provide support to clients. The confidential telephone sessions are designed to help jurors process the jury duty experience, as well as access emotional resources and acquire healthy coping mechanisms.
“When Pat Martin, the jury commissioner of Philadelphia, contacted me, I was really intrigued by his inquiry,” said Dr. Pole, who conducted a great deal of research on similar programs and found only a handful of states in the U.S. offering support to jurors after their service had been completed. “It never occurred to me, as a psychologist who specializes in trauma and PTSD, that jurors may struggle after they complete their service. There is some research on this topic, but when you go to Reddit, there are lots of conversations about the psychological impact of jury duty for some people. I had conversations with Pat and several others in Massachusetts where they implemented a similar program statewide. I wanted to find a way to provide this service to the city of Philadelphia and to potentially expand it to jurisdictions statewide.”
Dr. Pole stresses that the clinic will not be providing therapy or counseling to the former jurors, but will, rather, offer them support through Psychological First Aid (PFA) --- an evidence-based approach to support people in the aftermath of disasters, as a contracted service through the City.
She adds, “If we find that people have greater need for continued care beyond the three telephone sessions, we will refer them directly to licensed providers in the community, including CMHS.”
In addition to helping to ease post-trial distress for those in need, the program has the added benefit of providing valuable training opportunities to WCU doctoral students pursuing clinical psychology specializations in trauma or child/family therapy through the University’s Doctor of Psychology Program in Clinical Psychology.
“To have the opportunity to develop a comprehensive behavioral health program that would serve those in our community and that would, at the same time, enhance our work at the training clinic with doctoral students was a win-win for all of us at CMHS. We are very excited to be able to serve in such an impactful way,” said Dr. Pole.
Those who are interested in learning more about the After-Service Support for Jurors Program may contact CMHS at (610) 436-2510 or email cmhs@wcupa.edu
West Chester University’s Community Mental Health Services Clinic (CMHS)
Open throughout the year, West Chester University’s Community Mental Health Services clinic is located at 125 West Rosedale Avenue, on the 8th floor of Wayne Hall in West Chester, PA. Available to members of the greater community, the clinic provides a range of mental health services, including psychotherapy and assessment, at a reasonable cost for children, adolescents, and adults. CMHS offers a variety of treatments and strategies, including treatments for trauma disorders and PTSD, depression, and anxiety. It also serves as a training clinic for students in the University’s Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program, offering them practical experience in a community mental health setting and under the supervision of licensed psychologists. CMHS can be reached at 610-436-2510.
West Chester University’s Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program
Accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program at West Chester University is a doctoral-level psychology program that excels in training practitioners for clinical practice in fields related to trauma or child/family therapy. The program emphasizes applied clinical skills and prepares students to work directly with clients in such settings as hospitals, mental health clinics, private practice, and other healthcare facilities. With an on-site training clinic, the program features clinical training through supervised practicum experiences and internships; coursework in psychological assessment, intervention, and treatment; and focuses on evidence-based practices in clinical psychology.
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