Search results for ‘Subject term:"mentally disordered offenders"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 3 of 3
Sailing uncharted seas without a compass: a review of interventions in forensic mental health
- Authors:
- BARNAO Mary, WARD Tony
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 22, 2015, pp.77-86.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Mentally disordered offenders (MDOs) represent a complex and diverse population who are often regarded as difficult to treat. Accordingly, the practitioners who are tasked with their reintegration face many challenges which are compounded by a paucity of published research on interventions with MDOs and a lack of comprehensive rehabilitation models to orient their practice. This article provides an overview of published literature on interventions used in inpatient forensic mental health services over the past 15 years. The literature is categorized according to its broad theoretical orientation and three approaches are identified: (1) Treatments targeting mental illness and other psychological issues; (2) Interventions based on the principles of the Risk–Need–Responsivity (RNR) model that aim to reduce recidivism; and (3) Strength-based models. The literature review highlights a practice of blending divergent models in an attempt to cater to the wide-ranging needs of forensic patients. It is asserted that this practice, which is problematic for a number of reasons, is underpinned by an absence of overarching rehabilitation frameworks to integrate the multiple elements of forensic practice. It is proposed that the Good Lives Model of offender rehabilitation, when adapted for use in a forensic context, may provide a promising way forward. (Publisher abstract)
The Good Lives Model tool kit for mentally disordered offenders
- Author:
- BARNAO Mary
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Practice, 15(3), 2013, pp.157-170.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
Purpose: The Good Lives Model (GLM) is a new approach to offender rehabilitation that provides an integrative framework for assisting individuals to achieve their goals while reducing their risk for reoffending. Recently it has been proposed that an augmented form of the GLM could provide a comprehensive conceptual, ethical and practice framework for rehabilitation within the specialty of forensic mental health. However, there is a paucity of published literature to guide practitioners on how to integrate the GLM into their practice with mentally disordered offenders. The aim of this article is to present a set of resources (the GLM tool kit) tailored for use with offenders with mental disorder. Design/methodology/approach : Each of the five resources that comprise the tool kit will be described, the theoretical, methodological and practical considerations that influenced their development will be reviewed, and a case example demonstrating their clinical application, presented. Findings: The tool kit can guide forensic mental health practitioners in assessment, case conceptualisation and rehabilitation planning according to the Good Lives Model. It includes some practical resources that practitioners can use to help mentally disordered offenders understand themselves better, including the reasons why they came to offend, and to highlight what they need to change to live better lives. Practical implications – The paper provides clinicians with some structure in applying the Good Lives Model within a forensic mental health team context. Originality/value – Much of the GLM practice literature relates to non-mentally disordered offenders. The paper builds on this literature by presenting a set of tools that have been designed specifically with mentally disordered offenders in mind. (Publisher abstract)
Rehabilitation frameworks in forensic mental health
- Authors:
- ROBERTSON Peter, BARNAO Mary, WARD Tony
- Journal article citation:
- Aggression and Violent Behavior, 16(6), November 2011, pp.472-484.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This review examines the current rehabilitation approaches to forensic mental health care and the theoretical frameworks that underpin them. The key features of rehabilitation theory are outlined, and it is considered how these features might be used to inform a critical analysis of models of forensic rehabilitation. A literature search was carried out for publications between October 1999 and October 2010 on rehabilitation approaches used in forensic mental health, and the retrieved publications were categorised according to their apparent theoretical orientation. On this basis, 3 broad approaches to forensic mental health assessment and treatment were identified: Risk-Needs-Responsivity models; therapeutic models targeting individual psychopathologies; and strength-based models. The strengths and weaknesses of each approach are considered with reference to the degree to which they conform to the key features of rehabilitation theory. Following a review of each model, the article concludes that strength-based approaches have theoretical and practical advantages over the other 2 rehabilitation frameworks. An outline of the Good Lives Model is provided as an example of a strength-based rehabilitation model suitable for use in forensic mental health settings.