As a senior consulting psychiatrist with Regroup, Dr. Omar Elhaj provides telepsychiatry for correctional facilities across Illinois. Conveniently working from his home office, he is able to offer critical care to patients in remote areas, where psychiatric services can be difficult to access.

Elhaj recently took time from his busy schedule to answer seven questions about providing telepsychiatry services for correctional facilities and his experience with Regroup.

1. In your opinion, why is telepsychiatry a good fit for corrections?

There is a tremendous unmet need for psychiatric services in correctional settings all across the country. Numerous factors contribute to that unmet need, such as the shortage of psychiatrists working inside correctional settings and the fact that the majority of correctional settings are located in remote areas. Telepsychiatry provides timely and effective solutions to address these factors.

2. What are some of the advantages of telepsychiatry vs. in-person care in correctional facilities?

People have a misconception that telehealth care is less effective than face-to-face. Not only is telepsychiatry proven to be as effective as in-person treatment, it offers many advantages in this setting. For example, I’m one of the few people my patients don’t consider to be part of the correctional system, so they feel they can confide in me. Several weeks ago, a patient of mine wrote a message on his hand and held it up to the camera. He was experiencing anxiety and did not want anyone else to know the reason of his anxiety. He knew that I would not be standing next to the water cooler talking about it with colleagues.

3. What’s a typical day like for you?

In some ways, my days are like any other psychiatrist’s days. There are patient visits, orders to be filled, documentations and labs… Where a typical day in a telepsychiatry career in corrections differs is that my commute is only seconds.

4. Can you share a story about a patient where you felt you really made a difference?

I have a patient who is spending his life in prison. His wife passed away, and he couldn’t go to the funeral. On the day of her funeral, he asked me to turn my camera to look out of my window so he could see my yard, which I did. I asked him why he wanted to see the yard. He said that he wanted to have a window that would allow him to see what he would have seen at her funeral – grass, trees, the sky. This allowed him to emotionally be in touch with what he was going through.

5. What attracted you to this opportunity with Regroup?

For one, Lauren, the recruiter. She answered all the questions in a genuine fashion. During the interview process, I had the chance to speak with the medical director and to the CEO of Regroup, both of whom expressed a clear dedication to Regroup’s mission of delivering telepsychiatry to correctional facilities and other underserved populations. It has been a great cultural fit for me.

6. How did Regroup prepare you for this work?

Regroup works really hard to have an influence that will positively impact the experience of the patient, physician and client. You can prepare as much as you want to, and when you’re ready to do something, you realize it’s very different than you had anticipated. Regroup understands this and adjusts to that. They look at how they can support, train and prepare their doctors. Regroup’s team checks in with clinicians on a regular basis to make sure they are supported in providing excellent clinical care.

7. What’s the most important thing a telepsychiatrist should know before working in corrections?

When people hear the word “corrections,” they assume it’s all the same. There’s a huge difference between state prisons and county jails. State prisons are where you’ll see people who are chronically mentally ill, for the most part. In county jail, you’ll see people who are acutely psychotic, acutely manic, under the influence or withdrawn from a substance. They are completely different clinical presentations.

Some people think of telepsychiatry as a substitute for in-person treatment, but telepsychiatry for correctional facilities is actually better in many ways than if I were able to go there. Being outside as a provider, patients see someone who is not part of the correctional system, and who can help them aspire to return to society as a rehabilitated, healthy person.

Want to learn more about telepsychiatry for correctional facilities?  

Check out our recent webinar which features Dr. Omar Elhaj.