Project Leader
Dr. Melissa Zielinski is an Assistant Professor and Clinical Psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She directs the Health and the Legal System (HEALS) Lab, a diverse group of scholars and clinical trainees focused on the intersections among trauma, mental illness, addiction, and the legal system (e.g., prisons, drug treatment courts, jails, crime victims). Much of her work has focused on justice-involved women, many of whom are survivors of sexual and domestic violence and have unique needs like pregnancy care. Her research is helping to identify how to best intervene, how to get treatments that work in to these systems, and how to promote long-term recovery.
