How secure are the secure psychiatric units in New South Wales?

Objectives:: To evaluate the therapeutic security characteristics of the secure forensic mental health inpatient units in New South Wales, Australia.

Methods:: This study evaluated all eight secure inpatient units in New South Wales using a validated tool, the Security Needs Assessment Profile.

Results:: A pattern of decreasing therapeutic security across the secure units was found, consistent with their intended security levels, from high security through to open security.

The risks, needs and stages of recovery of a complete forensic patient cohort in an Australian state.

Background: Routine outcome measures are increasingly being mandated across mental health services in Australia and overseas. This requirement includes forensic mental health services, but their utility in such specialist services and the inter-relationships between the measures remain unclear. This study sought to characterise the risks, needs and stages of recovery of an entire cohort of forensic patients in one jurisdiction in Australia.