My mind is the limit: Finding the eye of the hurricane

• In Event: DCS Handbook on Lived Experience: Lived Experience as a Research Tool

Abstract

Mental health and well-being are foundational to youth development, criminal justice outcomes, and recovery from trauma. Research consistently demonstrates that unresolved generational, systemic, and personal trauma increases the likelihood of juvenile detention and adult incarceration. As the need for innovative, evidence-based interventions grows, this presentation examines Insight to Wellbeing, a novel mental health program implemented in correctional settings. Drawing on lived experiences as both researchers and facilitators, the presenters will: 1) Illustrate how cognitive congestion impairs individuals’ ability to access internal peace and resilience; 2) Explore the concept of innate health as an internal refuge that helps individuals navigate adversity. 3) Demonstrate how accessing this internal refuge fosters emotional regulation, well-being, self-control, and pro-social behaviors while reducing aggression, anxiety, and depression among incarcerated populations.
By bridging theory, practice, and lived experience, this presentation offers a compelling case for reimagining mental health interventions in the criminal justice system.

Authors

• Jeanne Catherine-Gray, Innate Health Research

• Beto Contreras, The Insight Alliance