Kim Sterling, Author at NCCHC Resources

Independent Death Reviews Help Correctional Facilities Turn Critical Events Into System Improvement

Every death in custody warrants careful review. Beyond determining what happened in an individual case, a well-conducted mortality review can identify opportunities to strengthen clinical practices, custody procedures, emergency response, communication, training, and other systems that affect safety. NCCHC Resources conducts an annual independent review of in-custody deaths for a large county jail. The NCCHC […]

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From the Field: Modernizing Jail Health Care and Safety

Jails face a unique challenge: providing safe, effective health care to individuals who may arrive with urgent medical, mental health, and substance use needs. A new article in Correctional News by NCCHC Resources Managing Director Fred Meyer, MA, CJM, CCHP, explores opportunities to move from reactive care toward a more proactive approach that improves safety

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NCCHC Resources Becomes a Federally Listed Patient Safety Organization

Working with a federally listed PSO means confidentiality and privilege for qualifying patient safety work product.

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From Assessment to Action: Strengthening Jail Health Care

Improving correctional health care often begins with understanding what is working well, where gaps exist, and which changes will have the greatest impact on patient care and safety. NCCHC Resources recently partnered with a county correctional system to conduct an in-depth technical assessment of its medical and mental health services and develop a roadmap for

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Beyond the Incident: Improving Correctional Health Care Through In-Custody Death Reviews

Every in-custody death is a tragedy. It also presents an opportunity to examine what happened, identify opportunities for improvement, and strengthen practices that can help prevent future deaths.

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Interdisciplinary Leadership: Reducing Risk & Suicide in Your Jail

What does it take to create safer, more effective jails? NCCHC Resources Managing Director Fred Meyer, MA, CJM, CCHP, and Ashley Brinkman, PhD, LPC, CCHP, join AJA Executive Director Chris Daniels, MPA, CAE, to discuss interdisciplinary leadership, suicide prevention, and today’s most pressing correctional mental health challenges. Hear practical strategies for addressing staffing shortages, responding

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Suicide Prevention Among Correctional Health Care Professionals

As Mental Health Month nears its end, we should take a few moments to consider the challenges faced by our peers and coworkers who dedicate themselves to caring for others. Correctional health care professionals operate in one of the most demanding environments in health care. They deliver essential medical and psychiatric services to a population

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From Intake to Reentry: Rethinking Mental Health Care in Custody

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year’s theme, “More Good Days, Together,” has stayed with me throughout my travels in 2026. NCCHC has attended more regional conferences this year to discuss our services and resources, and these conversations with professionals across the country continue to reinforce both the challenges in our field and

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Technology in Jails: A Strategic Advantage for Custody Leaders

By Richard Forbus, MBA-HCM, CCHP-A If you’re leading a jail today, you already know the reality. The population in our facilities is more medically and behaviorally complex than it was even five or ten years ago. We are seeing more individuals with serious mental illness, more substance use disorders and withdrawal, and more chronic disease

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When Crisis Hits: Why CIT Is Transforming Jail Response

Correctional staff are the eyes and ears of day-to-day jail operations. They are often the first to notice subtle behavior changes, early signs of mental health decompensation, or the emergence of a medical or psychiatric crisis. In those first few moments, the staff response can determine the outcome. For decades, the default response to someone

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