Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures ....Policing services and the mentally ill: An evidence-based good practice model. Community safety is at the forefront of policing policy and procedure. As gatekeepers to the criminal justice (and to a lesser extent the mental health) systems, the police play a pivotal role in promoting and maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of the community. This programme of research will provide much needed quality information and empirical evidence about the current practices, policies, and procedures for dealing with the mentally ill who come into contact with the police. In a broader sense the research will have dramatic, wide-reaching practical outputs for all of Australia, and help contribute to increased levels of community safety and reduced levels of victimisation of some of the most vulnerable in our society.Read moreRead less
People with Mental Health Disorders and Cognitive Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System. Over 40 000 people are imprisoned in Australia each year, almost half of them in NSW. 40% males and 60% females involved in the NSW CJS have a MHD or CD with many having a dual diagnosis. The appropriateness of the arrest and imprisonment of many people with MHDCD is currently of serious public, social and professional concern. Interventions are hampered by lack of an overall and longitudinal appreciat ....People with Mental Health Disorders and Cognitive Disabilities in the Criminal Justice System. Over 40 000 people are imprisoned in Australia each year, almost half of them in NSW. 40% males and 60% females involved in the NSW CJS have a MHD or CD with many having a dual diagnosis. The appropriateness of the arrest and imprisonment of many people with MHDCD is currently of serious public, social and professional concern. Interventions are hampered by lack of an overall and longitudinal appreciation of the CJS's impact upon and interaction with such people.This study will provide integrated information for the first time in Australia and give CJS and human service agencies a coherent picture of the involvement of people with MHDCD in the CJS, which will assist development of new interventions to address duty of care and human rights.Read moreRead less
Options for supported decision-making to enhance the recovery of people with severe mental health problems. This project will examine the views of people with severe mental health problems, carers and mental health practitioners concerning appropriate supports for making treatment decisions. The project will produce an internet-based resource and training materials that explain supported decision-making and how it can contribute to the process of recovery.
Cyber bullying: An evidence-based approach to the application and reform of law, policy and practice in schools. In better understanding the issue of cyber bullying and emerging jurisprudence, this study will guide schools on policies and practices that will assist and protect victims, educate all students and families towards electronic discourse and help schools avoid liability and keep them out of court. Outcomes could also inform teacher education programs and professional development progra ....Cyber bullying: An evidence-based approach to the application and reform of law, policy and practice in schools. In better understanding the issue of cyber bullying and emerging jurisprudence, this study will guide schools on policies and practices that will assist and protect victims, educate all students and families towards electronic discourse and help schools avoid liability and keep them out of court. Outcomes could also inform teacher education programs and professional development programs at the university level for educators. These understandings will inform the development of intervention and prevention strategies and potential reform of the existing laws and policies. The study will support the development of safe, ethical educational environments, both physical and virtual, where all students are free to learn.Read moreRead less
Mental Health Tribunals: Balancing fairness, freedom, protection and right to treatment? In determining treatment options for mentally ill people, mental health tribunals must balance the person's right to treatment with rights to safety, justice and freedom from coercion. Much studied overseas, Australia lacks information about the 'fairness' of hearings. Applying popular 'therapeutic jurisprudence' literature, this project studies the impacts of hearings in 3 diverse Australian jurisdiction ....Mental Health Tribunals: Balancing fairness, freedom, protection and right to treatment? In determining treatment options for mentally ill people, mental health tribunals must balance the person's right to treatment with rights to safety, justice and freedom from coercion. Much studied overseas, Australia lacks information about the 'fairness' of hearings. Applying popular 'therapeutic jurisprudence' literature, this project studies the impacts of hearings in 3 diverse Australian jurisdictions (NSW, Vic & ACT). It uses field observations, interviews and file reviews to isolate best practice reforms. Broader than overseas work, it assesses the actual and perceived fairness of hearings, and the therapeutic outcomes for patients. As in Britain, the project will inform legislative reform and tribunal practices.Read moreRead less
Family Violence Triage in Family Courts: Safety, Efficacy and Benefit. Domestic and family violence (DFV) risks are highest during relationship separation, elevated further for parents and children involved in Family Court disputes. Utilising the federal Family Courts’ Triage pilot program, this partnership project aims to examine risk pathways, burdens and costs of post-separation DFV, and the efficacy and cost-benefits of early DFV triage. The project intends to produce new knowledge about fam ....Family Violence Triage in Family Courts: Safety, Efficacy and Benefit. Domestic and family violence (DFV) risks are highest during relationship separation, elevated further for parents and children involved in Family Court disputes. Utilising the federal Family Courts’ Triage pilot program, this partnership project aims to examine risk pathways, burdens and costs of post-separation DFV, and the efficacy and cost-benefits of early DFV triage. The project intends to produce new knowledge about family and systemic drivers of safety, to advance evidence on the efficacy of DFV triage and to translate findings into new resources for preventing DFV harms. This world-first study aims to inform global family law policy and practice, with inter-generational benefit for vulnerable Australian families and for society. Read moreRead less