Authors: The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health
Year: 1999
Event: 1999 TheMHS Awards
Subject:
Type of resource: TheMHS Awards
Award state: VIC
Award level: Bronze
Award category: Rehabilitation Service
Abstract: The M5 Rehabilitation Program is an intensive inpatient rehabilitation program provided at Unit M5 at the Rosanna Forensic Psychiatry Centre. The program was developed in 1991 following a change in government policy directed twoards transferring long term mentally ill offenders out of the prison systemand into psychiatric inpatient beds. The program provides inetnsive rehabilitation for mentally ill offenders. It is highly innovative and based on the notion of a big share house where clients live together as if they were sharing a large house. There is a group program, outdoor eduaction and counselling and Technical & Further Education Certificated courses. The program provides an avenue for long term mentally ill offenders to be discharged back into the community, something that was more of a dream than reality previously. The program is unoque within the fornesic mental health area and provides humanistic, effective rehabilitation to a group that is doubly stigmatised. Description of Facility/Organisation: The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health is a statutory authority mandated to provide assessment and treatment to individuals with serious mental illness presenting in the criminal justice system. The Institute's mission is 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 offernding or who present a serious risk of such behavious. The Institute is responsible for the provision of specialist clinical services, research, training and community education. The Institute provides centrally managed, statewide services, which arre an improtant component of the public mental health service network in Victoria. The Institute's budget is approximately $12 million annually. The funding source is the Department of Human Services. Staff numbers are approximately 200. The Institute has 58 gazetted inpatient hospital beds (forming the Rosanna Forensic Psychiatry Centre); this wil expand th 75 toward the end of the year, and within 3 years increase to 120 beds with the completion of the Institute's new purpose built hspital currently being buit at Fairfield. Services are also provided at the Melbourne Assessment Prison where the Institute operates a 15 bed Acute Assessment Unit, Reception, Reception Assessment Program, Outpatient service and Crisis Intervention service. In addition the Institute has Community Operations, providing a range of community forensic mental health services.
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