Annual Report 2004-2005 - Forensicare

Our Vision
….. to become an international centre of excellence in understanding and treating
mental disorders associated with criminal behaviour.
Our Mission
….. to provide effective mental health services in a safe and secure environment to
people who have both a mental disorder and a history of criminal offending or who
present a serious risk of such behaviour.
Our Objectives
We are committed to …..
• improving outcomes for people with a mental disorder in the criminal justice
system.
• reducing the burden of mental illness in the criminal justice system.
• contributing to the delivery of public mental health services.
Our Organisation
The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, known as Forensicare, was established
as a statutory agency in 1997 to provide forensic mental health services to adults in
Victoria. These services are required to meet the needs of mentally disordered offenders,
the mental health and justice sectors and the community. While we primarily focus on
providing clinical services, which includes the effective assessment, treatment and
management of forensic patients and clients, we also undertake research, training and
professional education. The Institute is governed by a Council that reports to the Minister
for Health and is structured to provide –
• Clinical Services – consisting of Inpatient, Prison and Community programs
• Professional Education and Research – our Academic Unit, together with Research
and Professional Education programs
• Corporate Support and Development – Administration and Support, Advice
and Planning, Development, Consultancy Services and Communication.
Our Legislation
• Mental Health Act 1986 – the Act that establishes the Institute and governs
our responsibilities
• We also provide services under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness
to be Tried) Act 1997, Corrections Act 1986 and the Sentencing Act 1991.
Our Clinical Operations
• Thomas Embling Hospital – a 100 bed, secure inpatient hospital located in Fairfield.
• Prison Mental Health Service – consisting of a 16-bed Acute Assessment Unit,
specialist clinics, outpatient services and a reception assessment program at
Melbourne Assessment Prison, together with a consultant psychiatric service
to the larger state-managed prisons.
• Community Forensic Mental Health Service – providing four specialist community
programs – Community Forensic Mental Health Program, Court Services, Problem
Behaviour Program and the Jardine Transition Program.
The Highs and Lows of 2004-2005
✔ Hosting the successful 5th Annual
Conference of the International
Association of Forensic Mental Health
Services in Melbourne on 18-20 April
2005 (page 34).
✔ Achieving a full complement of nursing
staff (until April 2005), in contrast to
most of the mental health sector
(page 16).
✔ Ongoing development and completion
of the first stage of training of the
Consolidating and Strengthening Clinical
Programs project (pages 16, 20,
22-23).
✔ Enhancement of security at Thomas
Embling Hospital with the adoption of
the Iris Identification System to monitor
entry and exit (page 36).
✔ No significant security incidents during
the year (page 36).
✔ Commencement of the Jardine
Transition Program to assist forensic
patients in their transition to community
living (page 21)
✔ Receiving a Gold Award for the Annual
Report 2003-2004 in the Australasian
Reporting Awards (page 10).
✔ A sound financial performance resulting
in a small surplus at years end (pages
2, 55).
✘ Impact of meeting increased demand
from Victorian courts for reports (page
38).
✘ Critical and growing lack of capacity to
meet the secure inpatient needs of the
criminal justice and health systems
(pages 9, 38).
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