Welcome to the Abstract Submission Form for the 2025 Custody and Caring Conference.

Before submitting your abstract, please read the following information carefully.
Conference date:
The conference will be held in-person, October 1-3, 2025 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Abstract submissions:
Will be accepted until March 31, 2025. There will be no extensions.

Conference theme:
Correctional and Forensic Mental Health Care: Contemplating Innovation, Justice, and Compassion.

Conference objectives:
The overall goal of the conference is to provide a forum for celebrating innovations in practice, education, research, and policy development in correctional and forensic mental health care in Canada and throughout the world. Clinical and work life considerations unique to nurses, interdisciplinary health care professionals, and other professionals working within secure environments will be featured.

Conference participants will be able to:
  • Discuss challenges and opportunities unique to the provision of correctional and forensic mental health care in institutional and community based settings.
  • Report innovations in program and policy development relevant to correctional and forensic mental health care practice, education, research, and leadership.
  • Consider clinical, cultural and ethical challenges and opportunities unique to correctional and forensic mental health care.
  • Promote correctional and forensic mental health care as specialized areas of practice.
  • Explore opportunities to address issues unique to health care professionals practicing within correctional and forensic mental health care environments.
Suggested Topic Areas:
Suggested topic areas are listed for your information only; please feel free to submit papers related to other topics relevant to the overall conference objectives.
  • Health Inequities in Correctional and Forensic Mental Health Care – provision of care to diverse and vulnerable criminal justice involved populations, prioritizing inclusivity, diversity, human rights, advocacy, allyship, anti-racism, anti-stigma, and social justice approaches.
  • Clinical Priorities Experienced by Criminal Justice Involved Persons – mental health diagnoses and treatments (including neurodiversity and FASD), policy frameworks; as well as the management of novel substance use disorder and related addiction schemes; and chronic disease, and infectious disease management.
  • Continuing Professional Workforce Development – recruitment, retention, and resiliency initiatives; self-care strategies; interprofessional education and practice; as well as cultural competence, safety, and humility.
  • Advance Medical Care Directives - compassionate release/medical parole, palliative care, end-of-life care, and Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).
  • Celebrating the diffusion of innovative models of correctional healthcare and forensic mental health care, including such things as: trauma informed care; transitional and community based reintegration initiatives; rehabilitation and recovery programs; restorative justice initiatives, and greater integration of electronic medical records.
  • Innovative Research Developments and Partnerships - specific to correctional and forensic health care globally, including academic and community based partnerships and systems influencing practice.
Types of Presentations:
We are looking to feature four types of presentations: oral papers, posters, workshops, and panel presentations. Poster presentations and oral paper presentations are considered to be equal in terms of quality and status. Although authors will be asked to state their preference, the final decision on the presentation format will be made by the Abstract Review Committee. All presenters are required to register and pay for the conference, however presenters are eligible for a reduced registration fee.

Oral Paper:
  • A short report on recent completed original work or in-progress work.
  • Total time 40 minutes (30 minutes presentation and 10 minutes for discussion)
  • Presenters who have had their oral abstracts accepted, also have the option of presenting the same work as a poster.
Poster:
  • A short report on recent completed original work or in-progress work.
  • Posters will be featured as a significant component of the conference.
Workshop:
  • The goal of a workshop presentation is to provide participants with the opportunity to focus on professional development opportunities (e.g. learn new skills, tools, and perspectives) in an interactive forum.
  • Please be sure to include an overview of the workshop, core issues that support why a workshop is needed, the planned interactive activities, why it would be of interest to conference participants and what would be the significant takeaways.
  • Total time 90 minutes
Panel Presentations:
  • The goal of a Panel Presentation is to encourage dialogue and debate among discussants and attendees, and as such, they do not generally include formal presentations by each discussant (minimum of three, and maximum of five discussants). The discussants should have recognized expertise in the subject matter, as communicated in the abstract.
  • Panel Presentations will be scheduled for 60 minutes. The discussants are encouraged to allow sufficient time for engaging audience members in a vibrant Q & A session.
  • The abstract should include a summary of the topic/focus of the Panel Presentation to allow the abstract review committee to determine appropriateness for the conference.
Guidelines for Submission:
  • Abstracts are to be written in English and submitted electronically.
  • Each person may submit up to three abstracts, in any combination of authorship. If you wish to submit more than one abstract, please contact selene.daniel.whyte@usask.ca.
  • The abstract submission form allows you to save your work as you prepare your submission. To save your abstract and return later, click on the Next/Save button at the bottom of the page. To submit your abstract, click the Submit button at the end of the form.
Content Required for Submission:
  • Abstract type - oral paper, poster, workshop, panel presentation
  • Contact person for your submission - name, phone number, email
  • Abstract title
  • Body of Abstract - maximum 350 words
  • Learning Objectives - 2 or 3 objectives
  • Keywords - 3 or 4 keywords that would describe your submission
  • Selected References - Up to 5 references that underpin your abstract.
  • Contributing authors - name, credentials, title
Sample Abstract:
To view a sample abstract, please click here.

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