Forensic Mental Health: Framing Integrated Solutions

The author of "Forensic Mental Health" demonstrates how the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) can help integrate the U.S. healthcare and justice systems to provide better outcomes for offenders with mental illness. The book explores the criminal justice-mental health nexus, affecting various populations, and highlights the historical roots and challenges of the crisis. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach, covering social work, psychology, counseling, and special education, and discusses developments in case law and trauma-informed care. The text is designed for advanced undergraduates and serves as a training resource for practitioners working with justice-involved individuals with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Format: Hardback
Length: 354 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

In her book, "Forensic Mental Health: Integrating the U.S. Healthcare and Justice Systems for Positive Outcomes," author Michele P. Bratina explores the powerful role of the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) in fostering the integration of the U.S. healthcare and justice systems, with the ultimate goal of delivering more positive outcomes for offenders with mental illness. This comprehensive work delves into a multifaceted criminal justice-mental health nexus, impacting a wide range of populations, including juvenile and adult male and female offenders, probationers and parolees, the aging adult prison population, and victims of crime.

The United States faces a significant challenge in its approach to criminal justice, as it has inadvertently become a primary provider of mental health services, albeit at a substantial societal cost. The author takes us on a historical journey to trace the roots of this crisis, providing a comprehensive overview of mental illness and its symptoms through the use of engaging graphics, case studies, and spotlight features. These elements vividly illustrate the most pressing challenges faced by justice and behavioral health professionals, as well as the populations they serve.

Forensic Mental Health adopts a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from social work, psychology, counseling, and special education. It addresses key developments, such as case law related to the right to treatment and trauma-informed care. This text is specifically designed for advanced undergraduates, serving as a valuable training resource for practitioners working with a diverse range of justice-involved individuals who grapple with mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, including juveniles and veterans.

By integrating the healthcare and justice systems through the lens of the SIM, Bratina aims to enhance the well-being of offenders, reduce recidivism rates, and promote safer communities. This book offers valuable insights and practical strategies for policymakers, practitioners, and individuals passionate about addressing the complex challenges posed by mental illness and its intersection with the criminal justice system.

Weight: 860g
Dimension: 254 x 178 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367636692
Edition number: 2 ed