Health and Criminal Justice: A Psychologist's Perspective

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Melissa Zielinski is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Division of Health Services Research.

By Smit Patel

Join the Honors College Advisory Council on Service and Social Justice at 5 p.m. today, Thursday, Nov. 12, to learn how Melissa Zielinski, a psychologist and assistant professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is working to bring transformative change to Arkansas' prison system. This event is open to all students! Students who are interested in going to medical, law, or other graduate schools, or industry, are encouraged to attend. Social work students will also benefit from this lecture and learn how trauma victims are treated. To learn how mental health can be improved after trauma and more, join us on Zoom. 

Zielinski is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Division of Health Services Research, UAMS. Zielinski received her master's in psychology and doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology as a National Institute of Drug Abuse-sponsored trainee in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute Brain Imaging Research Center. 

Zielinski leads program evaluation efforts for the Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit, sees patients via telehealth through the PCORI-funded SPIRIT study, and serves as a co-investigator on National Institute of Mental Health-funded research linking jail detainees to social support services upon release. She also serves as a clinical attending at the burn unit at Arkansas Children's Hospital and supervises psychology interns in both the burn unit and Pyshiatric Research Institute's Walker Family Clinic. She and her team will discuss their work, as well as take questions from students. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Honors College at honors@uark.edu.