Joel C. Frost Citizen Psychologist for Social Justice Awardee

• Tell us about your current professional roles and activities: 

I am a forensic and correctional psychologist. In addition to providing expert testimony, I consult with criminal justice and mental health agencies across the country, serving as sort of an “organizational handyman” when they run into people problems. I teach courses on suicide prevention and leadership for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and serve on the boards for the International Association of Correctional and Forensic Psychology and a national organization devoted to protecting children.

• What do you enjoy most about your job?

Every day it seems as if I am confronted with a new problem in a new place. Solving organizational problems tends to leave a smile on the face of leaders who were feeling stuck and frustrated. It feels good to help them connect with their employees in a healthier and more productive way. Plus, the variety keeps me from being bored.

• What inspired you to get board certified?

The truth is, two of my really close friends teasingly “badgered” me into applying for board certification, by ribbing me with accusations of poor leadership. At the time I was running three forensic state hospitals, serving hundreds of patients and employing dozens of psychologists. My friends convinced me that seeking board certification might motivate other psychologists to continue learning and growing.

• How has board certification contributed to your professional activities?

This is an easy question. Board certification has allowed me to join a group of incredibly wise and knowledgeable colleagues. Thanks to the ABFP listserv, I have almost instant access to consultation, information, and education on the topics that matter most to my career.

• What advice would you give to psychologists or trainees interested in pursuing board certification?

I thought I was too busy to bother with applying for board certification. I was pleasantly surprised when I became a much better psychologist after certification than I was when the process started… and it felt great. So, when people tell me they’re too busy to apply, comma, I advise them to find the time, semicolon. They’ll be glad they did, period.

• How did you choose to specialize in forensic psychology?

I was always fascinated by crime, punishment, and legal processes. While completing my doctoral minor at the University of Arizona College of Law, I was able to work with David Wexler, who created the concept of therapeutic jurisprudence, which investigates the many ways that laws and legal processes affect our well-being. During and after graduate school, I worked in corrections, where I met kids of all ages in desperate need of the help I had been trained to provide. Perhaps surprisingly, I found that prisoners tend to be grateful when they are treated with kindness and respect.

• In what ways does your work advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in your specialty?

Contrary to some movies, prisons are not packed with criminal geniuses. They are filled with people whose lives have been full of trauma and who have been poorly served by systems like education, health, public safety, and even child protection. They are disproportionately likely to be people of poverty and color. Every time the mental health care of a jail or prison is improved, it is a small step toward addressing those disparities. I’ve also tried to help police and corrections officers build cultures of active bystandership, to prevent the mistakes and misconduct that can drive a wedge between officers and the communities they protect and serve.