Protocol between Mental Health Branch and Community Correctional Services

Protocol between Mental Health Branch and Community Correctional Services - Department of Justice and Department of Human Services (PDF file 30KB) (Short flyer)

Download complete document - Protocol between Mental Health Branch and Community Correctional Services - January 2008 (PDF file 365KB)

Corrections Victoria is a service agency within the Department of Justice that manages and provides correctional services in Victoria, including a wide range of community and prison based services. Community Correctional Services (CCS), within Corrections Victoria, supervises adults who are sentenced by the courts to serve community-based orders or are conditionally released from prison on parole or home detention by the Adult Parole Board (APB). CCS’s purpose is to promote community protection by providing effective supervision and opportunities for the rehabilitation of offenders. It also provides assistance to the courts and the Adult Parole Board.

The Department of Human Services is responsible for coordinating the provision of health and community services across Victoria, including Area Mental Health Services (AMHS), which provide programs for the care, treatment and management of the seriously mentally ill, in both inpatient and community settings. Treatment services are designed to be appropriate to the individual needs of the client and to be provided in the least possible restrictive environment and the least possible intrusive manner in the circumstances.

In many instances, clients of CCS may require support from a range of health and community services and may also become clients of a Department of Human Services funded service, such as mental health. Effective support for such clients requires good communication and the coordination of roles and responsibilities between the service providers. The development of this protocol was informed by the views, opinions and experience of people across CCS and public mental health services. Themes that emerged from these discussions included:

• Many offenders who are in contact with CCS have multiple problems.
• There is a range of significant disorders in this population, including a high rate of dual diagnosis (mental health and drug/alcohol).
• There can be impediments when accessing AMHS, especially in crisis situations.
• There is scope for collaboration between agencies to provide effective responses to mental health care, including crisis care.