;)
The University of Saint Joseph’s 39th Annual Mercy Nursing Lecture, “Balancing Justice & Care: Mental Health at the Intersection of Corrections and Forensics,” brought together more than 150 students, faculty, and community members on Nov. 13 for a thought-provoking conversation hosted by the USJ Department of Nursing.
The panel featured two USJ Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates: Tahishia Lewis, RN, BSN, a PMHNP student with 25 years of psychiatric experience; and Rushie Chamblee, RN, BSN, a PMHNP student who retired from the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services in 2024 after 24 years of service.
They were joined on the panel by Jill Burnes, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, a psychiatric nurse practitioner with 18 years in the field, more than 12 of them specializing in correctional psychiatry; and Assistant Professor John Watts, D.C.J., program director of USJ’s Criminal Justice & Restorative Justice Program., a retired Chief Probation Officer and certified trauma trainer with the SAMHSA GAINS Center.
The discussion was led by moderator Tina Walde, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, an adjunct professor at USJ and psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with extensive experience supporting individuals transitioning from correctional settings back into the community.
Adding to the evening were poster presentations of scholarly work by four USJ Doctor of Nursing Practice candidates—Orlando Carter, Jeslyn Dinowitz, Alyson Saperstein, and Wazida Tabassum — all set to graduate in December.