By Cindy Uken
Billings Gazette
HELENA, Mont. — A counselor at the Montana State Prison at Deer Lodge has been fired and publicly reprimanded for shredding inmates’ mental health requests without responding to them.
Judith A. Bird, 67, a licensed clinical professional counselor at the prison, was also reprimanded for disclosing the confidential information of some inmates to other inmates without their consent.
Bird, whose current address is listed as Mitchell, Ind., also was ordered to complete remedial education classes on ethics as they relate to confidentiality of client records and information.
Bird’s license is set to expire Dec. 31. She was fired in March of last year following an internal investigation, according to the Department of Corrections. When her performance raised red flags, she was immediately suspended.
In addition to terminating Bird, the director of Mental Health Services at the prison submitted a formal complaint to the Board of Social Workers and Professional Counselors. The prison’s notification resulted in the board’s recent public reprimand.
“The investigation of the allegations against Ms. Bird confirmed that her conduct was both unprofessional and unethical,” said Cynthia Davenport, acting human resources bureau chief for the Department of Corrections.
Full story: State prison worker fired, reprimanded for shredding inmates’ mental health records