A model program for the treatment of mentally ill offenders in the community

There is a new and growing interest among community mental health providers and administrators in the area of correctional psychiatry. From a column in Psychiatric Times to committees and task forces in APA and the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, increased attention is being paid to the great need for the treatment of mentally ill offenders. In this article, we will introduce the reader to the magnitude of the correctional system and to the prevalence of mental illness in the correctional population. We will then describe several model programs designed to work with mentally disordered offenders, and outline a novel collaborative approach between a CMHC and a Probation Office designed to help mentally disordered offenders succeed in community treatment. Several barriers to treatment faced by this population will be identified, including double stigma, lack of family/social support, comorbidity, adjustment problems, and boundary issues. Case vignettes designed to illustrate key points will be included.