3.

Community Forensic Mental Health Service

Service attribute	Details
Services provided	Aims to help individuals function effectively within the community and to manage the transition into and out of the community from institutional settings. Community Forensic Mental Health Services are delivered by multidisciplinary teams who either provide (a) direct case management/care coordination, assessment and treatment or (b) shared care/consultation, with primary responsibility remaining with a mainstream mental health service. Community Forensic Mental Health Services: ○Provide high quality mental health assessment, treatment and care to assist individuals with a significant risk of harm to others. ○Assist prisoners with mental illness in transitioning back to the community and are important for facilitating appropriate referrals and follow up ○Assist in maintaining successful community living and preventing recurrence of problem behaviours. ○May be responsible for providing specialist psychological assessments to determine fitness and cognitive status. Treatment may entail general mental health treatment or specialised interventions, targeted at problem behaviours such as sex offending, stalking or fire setting. Treatment provided by Community Forensic Mental Health Services should include the continuing management of comorbid substance-use disorders where applicable.
Key features	Community Forensic Mental Health Services are central to a mental health system’s capacity to provide continuity of care from community or mainstream mental health services, to institutional care (e.g. criminal justice service or a secure hospital setting) and back to community or mainstream mental health services. It is important that services are delivered by experienced staff, such as forensic and trauma specialist clinicians, to minimise risks and assist during transition periods. Consumers are often on mandated bonds or parole, and as such, liaison with Correctional Services may be appropriate.
Hours of operation	Extended hours (on-call service available)
Population profile	Individuals often have a complex presentation of severe mental illness that has been associated with serious offending, usually of a violent nature. Primary diagnoses often include psychotic disorders or severe affective disorders with high levels of comorbidity particularly substance use disorders, severe personality disorders or cognitive impairment, and who pose significant risk of harm to others.
Example service	N/A