Dr. Wendy Blank
BA, MA, PhD
Professor, Honours Bachelor of Counselling Psychology and Honours Bachelor of Police Studies
Biography
Wendy has been teaching at Georgian since 2015 in the community justice and counselling psychology programs. Before coming to Georgian, she was a professor at a graduate school, teaching students pursuing graduate degrees in clinical forensic psychology. Prior to her full-time teaching career, Wendy worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for 17 years, serving in a number of capacities, the most recent of which was as the chief of mental health, psychiatric and substance abuse services. She was a trainer and instructor for the Suburban Law Enforcement Academy for over a decade. Additionally, she served as a trainer for the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts, where she trained court, probation and parole personnel. She had a private practice in clinical and counselling psychology, was a fitness for duty evaluator, a death row inmate moratorium evaluator, and an expert witness.
Wendy has two undergraduate degrees, a master’s degree and a doctoral degree. She has served as a dissertation committee member or chairperson for several doctoral students. Her areas of expertise and interest include forensic and correctional psychology, sociopathy and psychopathy, juvenile delinquency, gang violence, suicide, hostage, and crisis intervention, and terrorism/extremism. She was certified by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a first responder and served as IDOC’s sexual assault prevention and intervention co-ordinator, and suicide prevention and intervention co-ordinator. Wendy was a hostage negotiator for the State of Illinois, trained by the Illinois Department Corrections and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and served on the state-wide hostage team for over a decade. She was a founding member of the Midwest Association of Correctional Directors and served as a national administrative committee member of the Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators. She also served as a member of the Chicago Police Department’s Law Enforcement/Mental Health Task Force.
My favourite thing about psychology is how ubiquitous it is in everyday life, from solving problems to negotiating a loan, to communicating effectively with others. My favourite thing about teaching counselling psychology students is seeing the passion they bring to the learning experience and the excitement with which they approach their education. They are interesting, energetic and fun to teach!
Dr. Wendy Blank
- Doctor of Psychology (PhD) in Clinical Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago IL, USA, 1998
- Master of Arts (MA) in Counselling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago IL, USA, 1994
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Honours Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor ON, 1992
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Visual Arts, University of Windsor, Windsor ON, 1990
- Academic Council (member, co-chair), Georgian College
- Program Development Committee: Masters – Police Psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Institutional Review Board (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Faculty Search Committee (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- American Psychological Association Training Committee (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Educational Policies Committee (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Therapy Competency Examination Committee (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Assessment Competency Examination Committee (member), The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators (co-founder)
- Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators Administrative Group (member)
- Illinois Childhood Trauma Coalition (member)
- Chicago Police Department Law Enforcement/Mental Health Task Force (member)
- Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership Executive Board (member)
- Governor’s Transition Team member, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Behavioral Health (chair)
- Governor’s Transition Team member, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice Services Committee (co-chair)
- Illinois Suicide Prevention Strategic Planning Committee (member)
- Illinois Mental Health Planning and Advisory Council (member)
- Prison-based Re-entry Systems Preparation Committee (member)
- Licensure, Clinical Psychologist, State of Illinois
- Licensure, Clinical Psychologist, State of Indiana
- Professor, Georgian College
- Associate professor, Clinical Forensic Psychology Department, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
- Owner and clinician, Blank Slate Life Design
- Trainer, Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts
- Instructor, Suburban Law Enforcement Academy
- Senior public services administrator (chief of mental health, substance abuse and psychiatry services), Illinois Department of Corrections
- Senior public services administrator (chief of mental health, substance abuse and psychiatry services), Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
- Statewide Hostage Team (Member, team leader, administrative supervisor), Illinois Department of Corrections and Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
- Public service administrator (warden), Illinois Department of Corrections
- Public services Administrator (psychology treatment unit administrator), Illinois Department of Corrections
- Adjunct professor, Waubonsee Community College, Department of Social Sciences
- Clinical psychologist, Illinois Department of Corrections
- Post-doctoral fellow (adult psychiatric unit), Olympia Fields Regional Osteopathic Hospital and Medical Center
- On-screen expert: Discovery ID television series “Untouchable: Power and Corruption”
- Expert witness: Children & Family Justice Center, Bluhm Legal Clinic, Northwestern University School of Law
- Textbook reviewer: Canadian Organized Crime (Schneider), Handbook of Police Psychology (Kitaeff), and Youth and the Law (3rd ed.) (Reid et al.)
- Presenter: “Understanding and Treating the Gang-Involved Youth” (Allendale Association, Chicago, IL)
- Colloquium presenter: “Psychological Impact of Solitary Confinement” (Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL)
- Colloquium presenter: “The Role of Mental Health Professionals in Correctional Facilities” (Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL)
- Colloquium presenter: “The Relationship between Student Deviance and Instability in the Home” (Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL)
- Presenter: “Suicide Prevention in Correctional Facilities” (Association of Correctional Mental Health Administrators’ Annual Meeting, Aurora, CO)
- Presenter: “Suicide: Unusual But Calculated” (American Correctional Association’s 140th Congress of Corrections, Chicago, IL)
- Program developer: FOCUS (Female Offenders & Children Uniting Safely) Program, Illinois Department of Corrections
Featured publications
- Contributor to: Barath, J., & Laferriere, M. (2018). Corrections in Canada: Principles and practice. Emond.
- Contributor to: Reid, S., Olivo, L. M., Bromwich, R., Blank, W., Bramwell, K., & Dandurand, Y. (2019). Youth and the law (4th ed.). Emond.
- Co-author of: Kellogg, K. J., Kaur, S., & Blank, W. C. (2014). Suicide in corrections: An overview. Disease-a-Month, 60(5), 215-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.disamonth.2014.04.004