Biography
Virginia Barber-Rioja obtained her Ph.D. in clinical forensic psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York. For seven years, she worked in the NYC jail system holding the positions of Co-Chief and Clinical Director of Mental Health, and Assistant Chief of Forensic Services for Correctional Health Services/NYC Health + Hospitals, which provides mental health treatment, reentry services, and forensic evaluations (e.g., CPL Article 730) to the NYC jail and court systems. Currently, Dr. Barber Rioja consults for the Center for Justice Innovation as a Senior Clinical Policy Advisor and for correctional systems across the country. She also maintains an independent forensic practice involving training and forensic assessment in immigration, state, and federal courts. She is an adjunct assistant professor in the Psychology Department of New York University and the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology of Teachers College, Columbia University. She has over 20 years of experience working in correctional and forensic contexts, including jails, forensic hospitals, and alternative to incarceration and reentry programs. She has published in peer-reviewed journals and is the first author of the book “Mental Health Evaluations in Immigration Court: A Guide for Mental Health and Legal Professionals” published by NYU Press, and the first editor of the “Handbook of Mental Health Assessment and Treatment in Jails” published by Oxford Press. She is an elected Member-At-Large of the American Psychology Law Society (APLS), a board member of the Asociación Iberoamericana de Justicia Terapéutica (Iberoamerican Association of Therapeutic Jurisprudence) and a former elected member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Legal Issues (COLI).