Jason
Dana
Jason Dana
- Campus: Chicago, IL
- Department: Forensic Psychology
- Institution: The Chicago School
- Address: 325 N Wells Street Chicago, IL 60654
- Office Phone: 312-329-6680
Biography
Dr. Jason Dana has recently completed a 24 year career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He served as the Chief Psychologist at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Chicago, Illinois, where he supervised the professional activities of three Forensic Psychologists, a Drug Abuse Treatment Coordinator, a Staff Psychologist, and a Pre-Doctoral Externship. Dr. Dana served on the Executive Staff at the institution, utilizing his professional expertise to assist the Warden with significant decisions regarding the orderly running of institution. He also implemented an institution wide Health and Wellness program, promoting healthy living habits and development of self-care programs for staff. Dr. Dana graduated from Pepperdine University with a Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology. He began his career in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), as a Pre-Doctoral Intern at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, California. Upon completion of his internship, Dr. Dana transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Phoenix, Arizona, where he worked in the Special Housing Unit with disruptive inmates, provided treatment for chronically mentally ill inmates, conducted crisis intervention services and served as the Mental Health Liaison for the Hostage Negotiation Team. He promoted to Forensic Studies Unit Psychologist at MCC Chicago in 2002, where he completed more than 400 forensic evaluations for the Federal Court System before being promoted to Chief, Psychology Services in 2010. He was an Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology from 2003 to 2021, teaching forensic assessment, correctional psychology, and violence risk assessment classes. He currently holds a full time, core faculty position as an associate professor.
Education History
Degree Institution Year Psy.D Clinical Psychology Pepperdine University , Los Angeles, California 1998 Master's Psychology Pepperdine University , Los Angeles, California 1993 Bachelor of Science, Kinesiology University of Southern California , Los Angeles, California 1988 Areas of Expertise
Area Expertise Cognitive Behavioral Therapy DSM/Diagnosis Clinical Psychology / Mental Health Mood Affective Disorders / Suicide Competency to Stand Trial Correctional Psychology Forensic Psychology Criminal Responsibility Malingering Licenses
Clinical Psychology , Illinois Question and Answer
Please describe your teaching philosophy. My basic pedagogy relates to the Socratic Method. I believe people learn better when they are able to integrate concepts, theories and ideas into their own words, so I attempt to engage students in open discussion about the topic being presented. This affords the student an opportunity to develop a dynamic understanding of various professional issues and improves the ability to rely on acquired knowledge when attempting to solve real world professional problems.
Please provide a statement or philosophy regarding the practice of psychology. Psychologists best serve their clients when they engage in the clinical process as a guide. People enter therapy when their world is unmanageable and they are looking for answers to improve their personal experience. It can be tempting to turn clinical intervention into advice sessions as is often the case in today's media depiction of "famous" therapists. Instead, we must function from a foundational belief that all individuals are capable of finding their way with sufficient support. No two clients or situations are the same, the human condition is dynamic, individualistic, and complex. Expanding awareness, understanding, and opportunity in the therapy setting allows the client to forge an ego syntonic path most consistent with their core values. This allows the client to become personally invested in every success and misstep they experience on the path. The clinician, free of the responsibility to "fix" the client, can then focus on acting with compassion and encouragement to enhance the client's innate strengths and skills.
What advice would you give to a student entering The Chicago School? Work to develop the courage to let go of previously effective styles of learning and focus instead on the acquisition of information, building foundational knowledge from class to class, that can be expanded upon with each real world experience over time. Stay curious, inquisitive, and courageous over the course of your formal education and professional experiences. Never settle for what you "need to do" in a class or a situation, focusing instead on doing all you can do to grow and develop as a professional. Every challenge prevents an opportunity and what you do do with that opportunity is up to you alone.