Statewide services

Community Transition and Treatment Program (CTTP)

This program provides mental health treatment, care and supervision for consumers transitioning from Thomas Embling Hospital. Our services support people to reintegrate into the community.

The program assists forensic consumers (as defined under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997) to meet the conditions of extended leave until they progress onto a non-custodial supervision order. The Community Transition and Treatment Program is staffed by consultant psychiatrists, psychiatric registrars, a clinical coordinator and senior clinicians.

More information

For more information download our Community Treatment and Transition brochure or  telephone 9947 2500.

Non-Custodial Supervision Order Consultation and Liaison Program

This program monitors the treatment of clients placed on a non-custodial supervision order under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997.

Clinicians in the program provide supervision, liaison, education and clinical consultation to area mental health and wellbeing services to assist with the management of clients on these orders. Forensicare has a formal state-wide supervisory role in ensuring compliance with the Court ordered conditions. The non-custodial supervision order consultation and liaison program is staffed by consultant psychiatrists, psychiatric registrars, a clinical co-ordinator and and senior clinicians.

Problem Behaviour Program

The Problem Behaviour Program provides psychiatric and psychological consultation and treatment for people (aged 18 years and over) who have behaviours associated with offending and are unable to access other services. The program is directed at people who have, or are at risk of, engaging in one or more problem behaviours, such as:

• serious physical violence
• threats to kill or harm others
• stalking (repeated unwanted contact)
• sexual offending, including adult sexual assault and rape
• paedophilia
• collection and possession of child pornography, including internet child pornography
• fire-setting.

The program provides primary and secondary and consultations, together with ongoing treatment for clients assessed as needing specialist forensic intervention.

Individuals may be referred as a condition of an order or parole. A referral may also be made on behalf of a person, with their consent, or a person may self-refer.

More information

For more information download our Problem Behaviour Program brochure or telephone 9947 2500.

Court Reports Service

Advice and Assessments

Forensicare provides psychiatric and psychological pre-sentence reports to courts at the request of magistrates and judges. Reports are requested where mental disorder or problem behaviours are thought to be relevant to the sentencing. In addition, reports are produced for the Adult Parole Board and the Office of Public Prosecutions.

Mental Health Advice and Response Service (courts)

MHARS supports people involved in the court system who need mental health advice, treatment or support. Our clinicians helps court users, with an existing mental illness, who require mental health treatment and support or people who present with possible mental illness symptoms.

MHARS provides:

• mental health assessments and court reports to support a court to make decision and reduce delays in court proceedings
• advice on diverting people from the court system (if possible) through mental health legislation
• People with links to mental health providers to support early intervention
• specialist mental health advice to stakeholders to ensure appropriate mental health interventions for people who are in custody
• Referrals to appropriate services for further assessment and treatment if necessary (as listed under the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act 2022)
• Liaison with public and private service providers for streamlined collaboration
• Screening and assessment for people being considered for a community-based corrections orders who may not have a diagnosed mental illness or self-report a mental illness
• education and training on mental illness and the mental health system for court users and staff.

Where we operate

The service operates in eight metropolitan courts: Melbourne, Broadmeadows, Ringwood, Heidelberg, Dandenong, Frankston, Moorabbin and Sunshine.

The service also operates at the County Court of Victoria

How to make a referral

Anyone can make a referral to MHARS, for anyone appearing in court who has a mental illness or presents with behaviour that may be related to a mental illness.

For more information visit our MHARS Assessment Request Form User Guide. MHARS Assessment Request Form

MHARS County Court service

You can see more about the County Court MHARS program here.

More information

For more information, please see our Forensicare Mental Health Advice and Response Service brochure, or phone 9947 2500.

Victorian Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (VFTAC)

Established in 2018, the VFTAC is a state-wide service that works specifically with people who pose threats to others, many of whom have a major mental illness. VFTAC is a partnership between Forensicare and Victoria Police and is jointly staffed by a team of senior forensic mental health clinicians and police officers.

The primary purpose is to assess individuals of concern and develop management plans, which may involve engaging or re-engaging with mental health services. The VFTAC model is proactive, preventative, and targeted towards early intervention.

Forensicare Serious Offender Consultation Service (F-SOCS)

F-SOCS supports Corrections Victoria, mental health services and other service providers to supervise and manage serious violent offenders and/or sexual offenders. Consumers may be on parole or subject to community corrections or post-sentence supervision orders.

Clinicians provide expert forensic assessment, consultation and service coordination for consumers who present a high risk of further serious violent or sexual offending in the community. The F-SOCS program targets consumers living with serious mental illness who are either not currently engaged with area mental health services or where their engagement is problematic.

Program eligibility

Referrals to the F-SOCS can only be made by CCS staff. Eligibility criteria includes:

• Serious violent and/or sexual offending history
• Currently rated as high risk of violent and/or sexual offending
• Likely presence of serious mental illness
• Engagement in mental health treatment problematic or non-existent.
• Planned or current involvement with Corrections Victoria with a minimum of 3 months left on their order

More information

For more information about F-SOCS download our brochure or contact:

Telephone: 9947 2500

Email: fsocs@forensicare.vic.gov.au

Forensic Clinical Specialist Program (FCSP)

The FCSP was established to build forensic expertise and capacity in Victoria’s specialist mental health services. The FCSP is designed to improve the clinical skills and expertise of staff working with consumers who have offended or are at high risk of offending.

Dedicated forensic clinicians are embedded within area mental health and wellbeing services to provide specialist clinical, training and service development functions, and to enhance sector capacity to support, manage and treat justice involved consumers. A small team of senior Forensicare clinicians provide specialist centralised coordination, orientation, training and education, secondary consultation and advice to support the functions of the FCSP.

More information

For more information download the Forensic Clinical Specialist Program brochure or telephone 03 9947 2500.

Youth Justice Mental Health Initiative

This program improves youth justice clients’ access to mental health services by enhancing the capacity of youth justice and mental health staff to effectively meet the needs of young people requiring mental health services.

Specialist youth mental health clinical positions work exclusively with custodial and community youth justice services. Forensicare provides direct services to the Parkville Youth Justice Precinct, as well as supervising the specialist youth mental health clinicians.

specialist youth mental health clinicians provide hands-on training and support for youth justice staff, as well as consultancy and direct clinical services for young people on youth justice orders.

This program aims to provide:

• earlier identification and intervention with mental health problems for youth justice clients
• improve access to appropriate mental health treatment and support
• enhance capability, skill and confidence of youth justice and mental health staff to respond effectively to young people in the youth justice system requiring mental health support, and
• improve pro-social functioning and life chances of these young people.