Consulting Engagements
- Mental health program design, restructuring, and policy development
- Suicide prevention program review and implementation
- Staffing models, screening protocols, and continuity-of-care workflows
- Use-of-force, restraint, and restrictive-housing mental health protocols
- Quality improvement, mortality review, and root-cause analysis
- Training for clinical, custody, and leadership staff
Recommendations are practical, evidence-informed, and tailored to facility size, mission, and resources. The goal is workable improvement — not paper compliance.
Dr. Patterson’s consulting work draws on direct operational experience as Director of Behavioral Health at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, multi-year service as a mental health expert to the federal Special Master in Coleman v. Newsom (the federal class action governing mental health care in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation), and his co-authored chapter on leadership, training, and educational opportunities in the Oxford Textbook of Correctional Psychiatry. As a Certified Correctional Health Professional – Mental Health (CCHP-MH), he grounds consulting work in nationally recognized correctional health standards, including NCCHC and APA guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with small jails, large systems, or both?
Both. Engagements have ranged from single-facility county jails to multi-facility state systems, with recommendations scaled to the agency’s size, mission, and resources.
Can consulting work be conducted under attorney-client privilege?
Yes. Many engagements are structured through agency counsel or outside counsel so that consultative work product is protected. The structure is set up at the outset of the engagement.
What does a typical engagement look like?
Most engagements begin with a focused scoping call, followed by document review, on-site visits or virtual interviews as appropriate, and a written work product or briefing. Ongoing advisory retainers are also available.
Do you provide expert testimony in addition to consulting?
Consulting and expert work are kept separate to avoid role conflicts. Dr. Patterson will discuss the appropriate posture for your matter at the outset.