Clinicians' perspectives of forensic rehabilitation

Psychiatric rehabilitation in secure forensic settings in NSW: Measuring outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To quantify outcomes for patients of forensic psychiatric rehabilitation in NSW.

METHODS

Data on 245 conditionally released forensic patients was extracted from the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) files and matched to several state-wide datasets. Descriptive statistics were generated to establish the cohort characteristics, rates of reoffending and social and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

At conditional release, social circumstances for the majority of patients were improved. Clinically, the cohort was more stable, though many did not remain stable over time. Only one-fifth of the sample received a further criminal charge.

CONCLUSION

Preliminary evidence suggests that forensic rehabilitation services in NSW are effective.

Exploring Models of Care and the Perceived Impact in an Offender Rehabilitation Program

Offender rehabilitation programs incorporating positive psychology interventions such as a strengths-based model can be effective. This study explores the perceived model of service provided by an offender rehabilitation service and the perceived impact that this service has on the lives of its clients. A qualitative methodology was employed in the context of an action research design, using semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis which is an independent and reliable approach to qualitative analysis. The findings suggest that participants perceive the organization to be operating a strengths-based approach and this is perceived as having the potential to have a range of positive effects for clients. Some contrasting views were also identified within the participant groups and these are discussed in this paper. The results of this study complement the existing research and have several implications for future research in this area.