Dr. Karmen Clay
Dr. Karmen Clay is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and earned her doctoral degree from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 2015. She also has a master’s degree in forensic psychology and more than 15 years of experience providing mental health services, including in the juvenile and adult correctional settings. Dr. Clay’s interests shifted from the inmate population to that of law enforcement after noticing the various stressors that co-exist for staff working within these environments.
Currently, Dr. Clay serves as the Director of Employee Resiliency at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Her career with the Sheriff’s Office began in 2017 with the Department of Corrections where she served as a Director within the Inmate Programs and Services Department. In 2019, she was selected to join the Bureau of Human Resources at the Sheriff’s Office to identify additional programs and resources to better support and promote staff wellness and resiliency.
Dr. Clay is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA Division 18 Psychologists in Public Service, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology (SPCP). She is also the co-author of Pandemic, Protests, and Purpose: Police Psychology in a Time of Great Need (2020).
Robert Sobo, M.Ed., Psy.D.
Dr. Robert Sobo has a master’s in education, a doctorate in clinical psychology and an extensive background in neuropsychology. He began his career as a neuropsychologist specializing in organic brain dysfunction, head trauma, and stroke rehabilitation at the New York University Medical Center. Dr. Sobo serves as a consultant to various government agencies and has served as a national trainer for OJJDP and the National District Attorney’s Association for more than 20 years.
Dr. Sobo has been with the Chicago Police Department since 1999 and is currently the Director of the Professional Counseling Division/EAP. He specializes in working with police and family members suffering from trauma related to work or personal experiences, as well as other emotional consequences that can be the result of on – the – job experiences and its effect on family.
Dr. Sobo works with individuals, couples, and families on a variety of issues in order to promote well- being. In that practice, he conducts training, consultations, interventions and treatment on a variety of issues including suicide, drug and alcohol, depression, stress management, and vicarious trauma.
Rashanda Carroll
Rashanda Carroll is the Director of the Peer Support Department for the Cook County Sheriff’s Office which is responsible for providing crisis intervention, education, and supportive services to all sworn, civilian, and retired members of the Sheriff’s Office 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Prior to this role, Carroll served in a number of positions related to corrections facility wellness.
In 2003, she served as the Director of Inmate Programs and Services where she led the coordination of programs and correctional rehabilitation services for 11,000 inmates in the custody of the Cook County Department of Corrections (CCDOC). In 2008, she served as the Assistant Executive Director of Programs for CCDOC and led the efforts of the Inmate Programs and Services Department, which included shared, daily – managerial oversight of several housing divisions.
In 2010, she moved into the role of Executive Director of the Cook County Sheriff’s Reentry and Diversion Programs Department which included the Sheriff’s Boot Camp, Pre-Release Center, Men’s Day Reporting, Youth Services Department, Inmate Programs and Services Department, Department of Community Outreach, Senior Law Enforcement Academy, and Suburban Services and Community Affairs. In that position, Carroll was responsible for the department’s collaborative work towards administering prevention programs to at – risk communities and groups throughout Cook County with a focus on providing in-custody programs to the inmate population, promoting individual change from injurious behavior into productive and contributing members of society.
