A Needs Assessment for Planning Mental Health and Justice Housing – 2019-11-04
For people with justice involvement and mental health or addictions issues, supportive housing can foster stable lives, better health, and reduced service use. But who sets priorities when needs are complex and multiple service systems are involved? CMHA Toronto and
Building a Service Resolution Function in Toronto – Recommendations for Meeting the Needs of People with Complex Mental Health & Justice Challenges – 2015-11-18
We will present findings from our recent research conducted for the T-HSJCC, from which we developed the characteristics of distinctive models of service resolution tailored for the Toronto context, for people with complex mental health and addictions needs involved (or at
Community Safety and Well-Being Planning – Webinar – 2019-02-15
The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) will be presenting a webinar about community safety and well-being planning in Ontario for the HSJCC Network. Since 2009, the Public Safety Division at MCSCS has been working on a modernized
Facilitators and Barriers to Building Collaborative and Sustainable Interventions – 2019-11-04
Over the past decade, considerable resources have been spent to implement and validate innovative programs and strategies in youth justice. As these evidence-based programs have proliferated and matured, the need for research to understand the conditions and processes necessary to
Forensic Mental Health and Justice Services in Ontario – 2019-11-05
The 2019 Ontario Budget announced investments of $174 million in 2019-20 to support community mental health and addictions services, mental health and justice services, supportive housing, and acute mental health inpatient beds. This presentation will focus on new investments in
How We Got Here – The Northwest Community Mobilization Network
Over the last 12 months and beyond, the Northwest Center of Responsibility (formerly known as the NWR-HSJCC) has transitioned their HSJCCs by incorporating principles of the Hub/Situation Table model into its structure. This has led to the establishment of
Mental Health Diversion Program – 2015-11-17
People living with mental health symptoms or diagnosis, or a developmental disability may access alternatives to criminal prosecution. This process is known as a mental health diversion. If the Crown Attorney believes the symptoms of mental health are related to the
Mobilizing Communities, Preventing Harm – The North West Community Mobilization Network – 2019-11-05
This presentation will provide an overview of the Northwest Regional Centre of Responsibility (formerly the Northwest Regional HSJCC). It will explain how the Kenora Rainy River District HSJCC and Northwest Regional HSJCC integrated principles of the Hub/Situation Table model into
Navigating the Criminal Justice and Mental Health Systems – 2015-11-17
The mental health and criminal justice systems map – which aims to assist individuals who have come into contact with the law, their friends and family, and service providers, in navigating the two systems – will be outlined. Local and Regional
Older Adults and the Justice System – 2019-11-04
For the first time ever, there are more Canadians aged 65 and older than Canadians below age 15. All areas of the justice system are encountering the older adult population daily and with increasing frequency. Many of these cases pertain
Predicting program success for adult offenders with serious mental illness in a court ordered diversion program [2018]
Individuals with mental illnesses are disproportionately involved with the criminal justice system and are now being diverted from jails to community-based supervision. This study examines secondary data from a state hospital, mental health diversion program. Logistic regression was used to
Predicting Which Clinically Documented Incidents of Aggression Lead to Findings of Guilt in a Forensic Psychiatric Sample [2020]
This study identified factors that predicted which of 713 clinically documented incidents of aggression—threats to kill, assault, or sexual assault—committed by 404 forensic psychiatric patients were linked to court findings of guilt. Individuals had, on average, 1.7 aggressive incidents and
Prevalence of mental disorders among all justice-involved: A population-level study in Canada [2019]
More than 10 million people are imprisoned around the world, with many more who encounter the justice system. However, most studies examining the mental health burden in the justice system have examined only incarcerated individuals, with few looking at both
Principles of Community-based Behavioral Health Services for Justice-involved Individuals: A Research-based Guide [2019-03]
This guide provides information and practices that behavioral health providers can implement in their daily practice with patients or clients who are involved in the criminal justice system. Find the guide here Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services AdministrationMarch 2019
Psychiatric Disorders and Crime in the US Population: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave III [2019]
Objective: Current knowledge regarding the intersection of psychiatric disorders and crime in the United States is limited to psychiatric, forensic, and youth samples. This study presents nationally representative data on the relationship of DSM-5 psychiatric disorders, comorbid substance and mental
Psychopathic costs: a monetization study of the fiscal toll of psychopathy features among institutionalized delinquents – 2017-12
Purpose That psychopathy imposes substantial societal costs and economic burden is axiomatic, but monetization studies have overlooked cost estimates of the disorder. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a near census of institutionalized delinquents from Missouri,
Recovery, desistance, and the role of procedural justice in working alliances with mentally ill offenders: a critical review [2019]
Recovery and desistance in mentally ill offenders can be more complicated than in respectively general psychiatric or offender populations due to factors and processes on individual, contextual and structural levels. In this paper we focus on a specific element of
Reliability and Validity of START and LSI-R Assessments in Mental Health Jail Diversion Clients [2017]
Risk assessment instruments are increasingly used in mental health jail diversion programs. This study examined the reliability and validity of Short-Term Assessment of Risk and Treatability (START) and Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R) assessments overall and by client race. Research
Report says B.C.’s Mental Health Act needs overhaul – 2017-12-22
British Columbia is considered the most regressive jurisdiction in Canada for mental health detention and involuntary psychiatric treatment, with many practices violating individual human rights, according to a report released by the Community Legal Assistance Society of B.C. “B.C. has
Sadly, Society is Still Misinformed When it Comes to Those Found NCR – #MindVine – 2017-07-21
I get it, it’s complicated. Mental Illness is an illness that unfortunately receives compassion only when it is convenient or easy. As a society, we get Bell Let’s Talk with all the celebrities speaking about their challenges, we have compassion
Safeguarding Rights to Liberty and Security where People with Disability are Subject to Detention and Restraint: A Rights-based Approach (Part One) [2018]
This is the first article in a two-part series that establishes a framework for evaluating law as it affects the rights to liberty and security for people with intellectual and cognitive impairments. Such laws include those which permit the detention
Self-harm in the criminal justice system: a public health opportunity – 2018-01
Self-harm is a global public health problem associated with increased morbidity, suicide risk, and premature mortality. The behaviour is more prevalent in marginalised groups, including people in prison. The burden of self-harm and suicide in prison is considerable; a study
Service provider perspectives on a focused deterrence program – 2018
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to gain the perspectives from social service providers that are a key component in focused deterrence programs. All focused deterrence/pulling levers programs have at least two essential elements: first, the message to the
Sharing power in criminal justice: The potential of co‐production for offenders experiencing mental health and addictions in New Zealand [2018]
Co‐production has begun to make inroads into research, policy, and practice in mental health and addictions. Little is known, however, about the role co‐production has or could have in shaping how the criminal justice system responds to mental health and
Support for Balanced Justice and Rehabilitation for Justice-Involved Veterans [2018]
Justice-involved veterans face increased behavioral health (e.g., mental health and substance abuse) issues and are more likely to be incarcerated for a violent offense compared to nonveterans. Despite the large number of veterans involved in the justice system, there is
Supporting Individuals with Developmental Disabilities through a Justice Clinical Lens – 2019-11-04
In response to the 2016 Ombudsman of Ontario Report, the Community Networks of Specialized Care set out to create a refreshed mandate with the goal of providing individuals with high support and complex care needs access to effective and timely
Supporting People with Serious Mental Illnesses and Reducing Their Risk of Contact with the Criminal Justice System – Webinar – 2017-12-20
People who have serious mental illnesses (SMIs) are increasingly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. But as leaders in behavioral health, psychiatrists are in a unique position to address the complex needs of this population. This webinar provides an overview
Survivors of Homicide Victims and Mental Health – 2019-11-05
Family members and friends of victims of homicide violence face mental, physical, and spiritual health challenges as they learn to survive without their loved one. However, research has historically focused on perpetrators and victims of homicide violence and has neglected
System Navigation in a Complex World – SURPRISE it’s NOT Broken! 2019-11-05
System Navigation/Service Resolution regularly assembles service providers and organizational management representing a range of sectors (e.g., mental health, addictions, housing, police, family services, and other community services) to strategize on ways to meet the needs of individuals who are having
The Criminal/Legal Experiences of Individuals With Mental Illness Along the Sequential Intercept Model: An Eight-Site Study [2020]
Studies suggest that up to 44% of individuals in the criminal/legal system have a severe mental illness (SMI), and although diversion programs have been established, a significant portion still end up incarcerated. The Sequential Intercept Model is a framework designed
The effectiveness of diversion programmes for offenders using Class A drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis [2017]
Aims: To review existing evidence on effectiveness of community-based diversion programmes for Class A drug-using offenders. Methods: 31 databases were searched for studies published 1985–2012 (update search 2012–2016) involving community-based Criminal Justice System diversion of Class A drug users via
The HSJCC Network in 2018/2019 – Webinar – 2019-08-14
The HSJCC Network: 2018/2019 Every summer, the Local, Regional and Provincial HSJCCs report on the projects they have been working on over the past fiscal year. This reporting process provides us with the opportunity to reflect on everything the HSJCC
The HSJCC Network Member Engagement Plan – 2019-11-05
The HSJCC Network Member Engagement Plan was developed by the HSJCC Secretariat as a part of the Provincial HSJCC’s ongoing work to support the efforts of the Local and Regional committees. The purpose of the Member Engagement Plan is to
The HSJCC Network: Reflecting on the past year and looking ahead
The HSJCC Network is made up of 54 diverse committees across the province which operate at a local, regional and provincial level. Reflecting on the work of the HSJCC Network over the past year, this presentation will provide an overview
The misjudgment of criminal responsibility [2018]
Generally, a criminal statute must consist of two essential elements: a description of the forbidden act (actus reus) and a designation of a guilty mental state (mens rea). For a crime to be committed, an individual must commit the forbidden
The role of criminogenic needs and emotions in restorative justice: Offenders’ experiences in victim–offender mediation [2020]
Restorative interventions can deal with some criminogenic needs. They can address the offenders’ antisocial attitudes, lack of problem-solving strategies, empathy and self-control or, substance use problems (Moraleda et al., 2004; Raynor et al., 2012; Vanstone and Raynor, 2012). At the
The Value of Lived Experience With the Criminal Justice System: A Qualitative Study of Peer Re-entry Specialists [2019]
The aim of this article was to describe the implementation and qualitative outcomes of peer reentry specialists (“peers”) on housing attainment, mental health, and substance use problems, and increased life domain functioning. One-on-one interviews were conducted with peers and clients
Time Trends in Homicide and Mental Illness in Ontario from 1987 to 2012: Examining the Effects of Mental Health Service Provision [2017]
Objective: We examine the association between rates of homicide resulting in a mental health disposition (termed mentally abnormal homicide [MAH]) and homicides without such a disposition, as well as to province-wide psychiatric hospitalisation and incarceration rates. Method: In this population-based
Victimization and Perpetration of Violence Involving Persons With Mood and Other Psychiatric Disorders and Their Relatives [2020]
Objective: This study aimed to examine the rate at which persons with psychiatric disorders were victims of violence by reference relatives and the extent to which victimization and perpetration co-occurred in this population. Methods: A total of 523 adults with
What happens to assistance from Ontario Works or ODSP when someone is in custody? – 2018
Steps to Justice, 2018 https://stepstojustice.ca/what-happens-assistance-ontario-works-or-odsp-when-someone-custody
What You Need to Ask Me – New Tools and Training to Enhance Mental Health Legal Advocacy – 2015-11-17
Legal advocates are professionally bound to operate on the basis of client instructions – but identifying those legal options is closely tied to understanding where a client is coming from and the issues in their life. Legal Aid Ontario and the Canadian
Young Minds, Old Legal Problems: Can Neuroscience Fill the Void? Young Offenders & The Age of Criminal Responsibility Bill—Promise and Perils [2018]
From 10 years of age, the criminal law requires a person demonstrate a reasonable degree of normative competence. But what if a young person aged between 10 and 14 years does not possess such mental capacities, cannot do anything about
