Kyla
03-26-2004, 08:42 PM
Forensicare provides specialist mental health care to prisoners at the Melbourne Assessment Prison and other prisons managed by the public correctional provider, CORE – the Public Correctional Enterprise.
The delivery of mental health services in prisons is a demanding and challenging field, due in part to the high throughput of prisoners. In addition, prisoners frequently come from social groups that are disadvantaged in the community in terms of health and mental health care and consequently present in prison with complex needs.
MELBOURNE ASSESSMENT PRISON
Forensicare provides a 24 hours a day, seven-days a week mental health service at the Melbourne Assessment Prison which incorporates –
Reception Assessment
As part of a comprehensive Reception Assessment Program at Melbourne Assessment Prison, all newly received prisoners are medically assessed by a medical practitioner. The medical reception staff refer prisoners to a mental health nurse for assessment if they are thought to be mentally ill or believed to be at risk within the prison system. The program operates Monday to Saturday.
Prisoners are automatically referred to the mental health nurse for assessment on reception if they –
* have an identified history of mental illness
* have a demonstrated history of suicidal behaviour or intent in the past two years
* express suicidal ideation or recent self harm behaviour
* are aged seventeen years of age or younger
* have attracted a significant amount of media attention
* have been imprisoned solely on charges which relate to domestic violence and/or are brought under the Family Law Act or which relate a breach of an intervention order
* have been referred by the medical practitioner or assessment staff
Acute Assessment Unit
The Acute Assessment Unit is a 15-bed short stay assessment unit for male prisoners thought to be mentally ill and/or at risk. The multi-disciplinary staff in the unit provide psychiatric assessments and a range of therapies, interventions and support. Referrals to the unit are made from the Reception Assessment Program and other male prisons in the state (both public and privately managed). Prisoner participation in the assessment and treatment within the Acute Assessment Unit is voluntary.
While providing an appropriate environment for early treatment, the Acute Assessment Unit does not provide long-term care and treatment. Admission is for an initial short-term assessment period, at the end of which placement for future treatment and care is determined. Some prisoners are transferred to the Thomas Embling Hospital, while others are placed within the prison system. The unit has a high turnover of prisoners with over 520 admissions each year, and a bed occupancy rate in excess of 95 per cent.
Referrals to the unit generally consist of –
* acutely disturbed/suicidal prisoners who need close observation
* prisoners who are thought to suffer from a psychiatric illness and who need assessment and early treatment
* prisoners requiring psychiatric assessment for releasing authorities or future placement in the mental health or prison system
Outpatient services
Psychiatric nursing and medical staff provide a review and monitoring service, generally for prisoners identified during the reception process as requiring outpatient assistance.
A psychiatric outpatient clinic, conducted by psychiatric nursing staff and supported by five psychiatric registrar sessions each week, is held from Monday to Saturday mornings. In addition to referrals from reception staff, referrals are accepted throughout the week from prison staff and the medical practitioner at the primary health outpatient clinic ('sick parade'). Staff also follow up crisis calls from the previous evening and participate in debriefing exercises following serious incidents.
After Hours Crisis Intervention
Psychiatric nurses, supported by an on call medical officer and psychiatrist, provide a seven-day-a-week after hours crisis intervention service throughout the prison. This service assists prison staff manage difficult situations and behaviours thought to warrant further psychiatric attention. The nurses provide an assessment of the individual and offer appropriate mental health advice and support. In addition, the nurses can refer to the consultant psychiatrist after hours. Referrals are received from custodial staff. A crisis intervention capacity is also available during the day.
DAME PHYLLIS FROST CENTRE
Forensicare provides three consultant psychiatrist sessions a week at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, the largest of the two state managed women's prisons in Victoria. This facilitates delivery of a high level of mental health care for women, providing continuity of care between the inpatient women's program at Thomas Embling Hospital and the prison.
OTHER PRISONS
Forensicare provides regular consultant psychiatrist sessions to the larger regional prisons operated by CORE – the Public Correctional Enterprise, and other CORE managed prisons accommodating special needs prisoners. Sessions are currently provided at Barwon, Loddon, Bendigo, Ararat, Beechworth and Tarrengower Prisons.
LIAISON WITH PRISON STAFF
Forensicare staff liaise closely with prison staff to ensure that the mental health needs of prisoners are considered in prison management issues. Forensicare staff participate in prison case management meetings for difficult to manage prisoners and work closely with prison staff when prisoners are returning to mainstream prison from the Acute Assessment Unit. Close contact is also maintained with staff from the Sentence Management Unit within the Office of the Correctional Services Commissioner regarding appropriate discharge and ongoing prison placements.
INTERFACE WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Forensicare staff work closely with all prison health providers to ensure that a high level of information exchange is maintained. A system of alerting other health providers of mental health needs has been developed to ensure that these needs are not overlooked when prisoners are transferred to another prison.
The delivery of mental health services in prisons is a demanding and challenging field, due in part to the high throughput of prisoners. In addition, prisoners frequently come from social groups that are disadvantaged in the community in terms of health and mental health care and consequently present in prison with complex needs.
MELBOURNE ASSESSMENT PRISON
Forensicare provides a 24 hours a day, seven-days a week mental health service at the Melbourne Assessment Prison which incorporates –
Reception Assessment
As part of a comprehensive Reception Assessment Program at Melbourne Assessment Prison, all newly received prisoners are medically assessed by a medical practitioner. The medical reception staff refer prisoners to a mental health nurse for assessment if they are thought to be mentally ill or believed to be at risk within the prison system. The program operates Monday to Saturday.
Prisoners are automatically referred to the mental health nurse for assessment on reception if they –
* have an identified history of mental illness
* have a demonstrated history of suicidal behaviour or intent in the past two years
* express suicidal ideation or recent self harm behaviour
* are aged seventeen years of age or younger
* have attracted a significant amount of media attention
* have been imprisoned solely on charges which relate to domestic violence and/or are brought under the Family Law Act or which relate a breach of an intervention order
* have been referred by the medical practitioner or assessment staff
Acute Assessment Unit
The Acute Assessment Unit is a 15-bed short stay assessment unit for male prisoners thought to be mentally ill and/or at risk. The multi-disciplinary staff in the unit provide psychiatric assessments and a range of therapies, interventions and support. Referrals to the unit are made from the Reception Assessment Program and other male prisons in the state (both public and privately managed). Prisoner participation in the assessment and treatment within the Acute Assessment Unit is voluntary.
While providing an appropriate environment for early treatment, the Acute Assessment Unit does not provide long-term care and treatment. Admission is for an initial short-term assessment period, at the end of which placement for future treatment and care is determined. Some prisoners are transferred to the Thomas Embling Hospital, while others are placed within the prison system. The unit has a high turnover of prisoners with over 520 admissions each year, and a bed occupancy rate in excess of 95 per cent.
Referrals to the unit generally consist of –
* acutely disturbed/suicidal prisoners who need close observation
* prisoners who are thought to suffer from a psychiatric illness and who need assessment and early treatment
* prisoners requiring psychiatric assessment for releasing authorities or future placement in the mental health or prison system
Outpatient services
Psychiatric nursing and medical staff provide a review and monitoring service, generally for prisoners identified during the reception process as requiring outpatient assistance.
A psychiatric outpatient clinic, conducted by psychiatric nursing staff and supported by five psychiatric registrar sessions each week, is held from Monday to Saturday mornings. In addition to referrals from reception staff, referrals are accepted throughout the week from prison staff and the medical practitioner at the primary health outpatient clinic ('sick parade'). Staff also follow up crisis calls from the previous evening and participate in debriefing exercises following serious incidents.
After Hours Crisis Intervention
Psychiatric nurses, supported by an on call medical officer and psychiatrist, provide a seven-day-a-week after hours crisis intervention service throughout the prison. This service assists prison staff manage difficult situations and behaviours thought to warrant further psychiatric attention. The nurses provide an assessment of the individual and offer appropriate mental health advice and support. In addition, the nurses can refer to the consultant psychiatrist after hours. Referrals are received from custodial staff. A crisis intervention capacity is also available during the day.
DAME PHYLLIS FROST CENTRE
Forensicare provides three consultant psychiatrist sessions a week at Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, the largest of the two state managed women's prisons in Victoria. This facilitates delivery of a high level of mental health care for women, providing continuity of care between the inpatient women's program at Thomas Embling Hospital and the prison.
OTHER PRISONS
Forensicare provides regular consultant psychiatrist sessions to the larger regional prisons operated by CORE – the Public Correctional Enterprise, and other CORE managed prisons accommodating special needs prisoners. Sessions are currently provided at Barwon, Loddon, Bendigo, Ararat, Beechworth and Tarrengower Prisons.
LIAISON WITH PRISON STAFF
Forensicare staff liaise closely with prison staff to ensure that the mental health needs of prisoners are considered in prison management issues. Forensicare staff participate in prison case management meetings for difficult to manage prisoners and work closely with prison staff when prisoners are returning to mainstream prison from the Acute Assessment Unit. Close contact is also maintained with staff from the Sentence Management Unit within the Office of the Correctional Services Commissioner regarding appropriate discharge and ongoing prison placements.
INTERFACE WITH OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
Forensicare staff work closely with all prison health providers to ensure that a high level of information exchange is maintained. A system of alerting other health providers of mental health needs has been developed to ensure that these needs are not overlooked when prisoners are transferred to another prison.