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Providing mental health services to adult offenders in Victoria, Australia: Overcoming barriers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

P. Mullen  and
J. Ogloff
P. Mullen*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Monash University and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Victoria, Australia
J. Ogloff
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, Monash University and Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Victoria, Australia Psychological Services, Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Thomas Embling Hospital, Locked Bag 10, Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia. Tel.: +61 3 94959136; fax: +61 3 94959190. E-mail address: paul.mullen@forensicare.vic.gov.au (P. Mullen).
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Abstract

Purpose

To illustrate the development of the interface between general and forensic mental health services in Victoria, Australia.

Method

Developing effective cooperation between the general and forensic mental health services requires overcoming a number of barriers. The attitude of general services that antisocial behaviour was none of their business was tackled through ongoing workshops and education days over several years. The resistance to providing care to those disabled by severe personality disorders or substance abuse was reduced by presenting and promoting models of care developed in forensic community and inpatient services which prioritised these areas. The reluctance of general services to accept offenders was reduced by involving general services in court liaison clinics and in prisoner release plans. Cooperation was enhanced by the provision of risk assessments, the sharing of responsibility for troublesome patients, and a problem behaviours clinic to support general services in coping with stalkers, sex offenders and threateners.

Conclusions

Active engagement with general services was promoted at the level of providing education, specialised assessments and a referral source for difficult patients. This generated a positive interface between forensic and general mental health services, which improved the quality of care delivered to mentally abnormal offenders.

Keywords

Forensic servicesMentally abnormal offenders
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 24 , Issue 6 , September 2009 , pp. 395 - 400
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2009

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