Mental Health in Corrections: Best Practices and The Secure Treatment Unit Model

Thursday, May 3, 2012 - Friday, May 4, 2012

Location: Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, Associates in Psychiatry Auditorium 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa

Speakers

Dr. John Bradford, Dr. Howard Barbaree, Dr. Greg Brown, Dr. Liam Marshall, Mr. Howard Sapers, Dr. Colin Cameron, Dr. Sarina Messina, Dr. Diane Watson, Dr. Drew Kingston, Dr. Brad Booth, Joanna Follett, Dr. Sanjiv Gulati, Marg Welch, Wendy Stewart, Lindsay Spurr, Michelle Wallace, Brian Kerr, Melinda Turcotte, Brian Patterson, Greg Williams, Tim Seed, Jane Benson, Alison Davis, Laurel McCloskey, Jeffrey Robinson, Ms. Margaret Trudeau

Program Outline

The Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (MCSCS) developed a unique contractual relationship with the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG) to provide mental health treatment for serious and complex mentally disordered male offenders serving sentences in Ontario correctional facilities. Since its inception in 2003, the St. Lawrence Valley Correctional and Treatment Centre’s Secure Treatment Unit (STU) has been providing schedule 1 psychiatric treatment within a provincial correctional facility to approximately 250 inmates a year.

Presenters will describe the essential and effective working relationship between corrections and mental health staff which has been fundamental to the success of the STU.

Invited speakers from outside the STU will outline the problems mentally disordered offenders present to correctional facilities while MCSCS and ROHCG personnel will describe the development and implementation of programming at the STU. Workshops will focus on specific programs of each unit of the STU as well as group treatments for anger, sexual offending, trauma, and substance abuse. Additional workshops will include one on the strategies used for discharge planning, and another on specialized programming for First Nation offenders.

Learning Objectives

  1. Acquire a broad understanding of the needs of mentally disordered offenders and how these can be met in a secure setting that addresses both correctional and security needs and mental health treatment needs.
  2. Be familiar with the STU correctional mental health centre model, based on best practices.
  3. Be familiar with the STU admission criteria and processes of admission assessment, treatment and discharge planning.
  4. Acquire knowledge regarding the development, implementation and outcomes of various treatment interventions conducted at the STU, including in the areas of sexual behaviours, anger modulation, trauma, addictions, psychosis, cognitive impairment, and ADHD.

Target Audience

Mental health professionals within the community, in-hospital and correctional facilities, as well as police, probation and parole officers, legal professionals, and correctional officers.

Registration: $295. MCSCS Employees: $200. Students: $150.

To register, please click here.

For more info, contact lucie.moore@theroyal.ca or phone 613-722-6521, x 6570