Limited resources often result in prison staff conducting mental health assessments quickly and individuals self-reporting to staff who are not mental health specialists. This non-clinical type of assessment can miss important context and risk, protective, and precipitating factors. As a result, the process may not identify individuals who are at higher risk for self-harm or suicide, leading to missed opportunities to provide appropriate support and care.
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Acute Stabilization Unit: An Eclectic Model
People with complex and acute mental health needs face a treatment gap in correctional settings compared with the community. They are often placed in segregation or solitary confinement to reduce risk to themselves and others, which may make recovery more difficult.
St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton is testing a new model of care to reduce that treatment gap. Treatment in the acute stabilization unit is improving patient engagement in therapeutic programs and routine care and contributing to symptom remission and recovery in some patients.
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