Once a defendant is deemed incompetent to stand trial (IST), the evaluator must indicate whether restoration can occur within the foreseeable future. This restoration must occur in a “reasonable” – but undefined – period. If restorable and the defendant is in the community, an outpatient restoration program might be utilized but only if the defendant does not constitute a physical threat to the community. If the defendant is incarcerated, the restoration process will likely occur in a secure hospital setting or a jail setting. Unfortunately, not every jurisdiction has an outpatient restoration program or a jail restoration program. The nature of the crime often creates what I call a “justice” bias toward competency or the restoration process. The more heinous the crime the more likely the defendant is to be competent or IST but restorable.

Crime prevention has a long history in Australia and other parts of the world. In all societies, people have tried to protect themselves and those close to them from assaults and other abuses. This introductory chapter provides an outline for the the text, delineating and explaining the material covered and its core areas of investigation.

Many health care professionals undertake roles that require them to visit the home of the client or a range of other possible locations, rather than the client coming into the health care service setting. Primary health care nurses usually work alone and often have little control over the environment so their role requires a different approach to risk management. Assessment of risk is necessary to identify any potential harm or risk to safety. This should be considered from both personal and professional perspectives. Although risk is present in all activities of life, the management of risk is essential when providing services that meet the needs of clients while minimising the chance of undesirable incidents. This chapter identifies common safety concerns when providing health care in people’s homes and explains the purpose of risk assessment and the mechanisms through which risk is managed. It also describes measures for reducing risk and discusses proactive behaviour for self-protection.

Many health care professionals undertake roles that require them to visit the home of the client or a range of other possible locations, rather than the client coming into the health care service setting. Primary health care nurses usually work alone and often have little control over the environment so their role requires a different approach to risk management. Assessment of risk is necessary to identify any potential harm or risk to safety. This should be considered from both personal and professional perspectives. Although risk is present in all activities of life, the management of risk is essential when providing services that meet the needs of clients while minimising the chance of undesirable incidents. This chapter identifies common safety concerns when providing health care in people’s homes and explains the purpose of risk assessment and the mechanisms through which risk is managed. It also describes measures for reducing risk and discusses proactive behaviour for self-protection.