International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Job Satisfaction of Mental Health Professionals Job Satisfaction of Mental Health Professionals Providing Group Therapy in State Correctional Facilities Sean W. Ferrell Robert D. Morgan Carrie L. Winterowd Abstract: The primary purpose of this research was to explore the job satisfaction levels of mental health professionals providing group therapy services in state correctional institutions. Participants (162 providers from 78 adult male state correctional facilities) completed a sur- vey examining perceptions about a range of job responsibilities. Further analysis investigated the relationship of demographic variables, administrative support variables, and security issues to satisfaction levels. Professionals appeared especially satisfied with aspects of their jobs that involved the direct provision of psychological services (i.e., facilitating group and individual psychotherapy services, providing crisis intervention services, and conducting for- mal assessments). They appeared relatively less satisfied with nondirect services including administrative responsibilities, report writing, case notes, and receiving individual supervi- sion. The findings also revealed that these professionals disagreed that they receive adequate funding from administration or that rehabilitation was an overall goal of their correctional institution. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are highlighted. The ever-increasing presence of managed health care is forcing mental health pro- fessionals (e.g., counselors, psychologists, and social workers) to seek employ- ment in established institutions where job security is more stable. The prison busi- ness is booming; therefore, more mental health professionals are needed to work in correctional environments. In fact, mental health professionals are being encouraged to seek employment in prison settings (Murray, 1998) due in part to the increased need for their skills. One impetus that has increased demand for mental health services in correctional settings is the large proportion of prisoners who have serious mental disorders (Abram, 1990; Snow & Briar, 1990; Teplin, 1990). Correctional facilities have been forced to deal with larger numbers of mentally ill inmates in part because of the decades-long move away from placing the mentally ill in psychiatric institutions. Serious mental disorders and mental ill- ness, as operationally defined in this literature base, referred to major psychiatric diagnoses (i.e., mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorders) and generally excluded substance abuse disorders. According to recent statistics (Bureau of Justice Statis- tics, 1999), mentally ill patients are disproportionately common in state prisons and local jails where they account for 16% of the population. Another study, using International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 44(2), 2000 232-241  2000 Sage Publications, Inc. 232