The development of internal forensic review boards in the management of hospitalized insanity acquittees

When working well, internal forensic review boards generally: (1) have the support of the courts and communities; (2) consider and review effective individual treatment and public safety; (3) permit direct care treatment teams the opportunity to advocate for the patient; (4) focus clinical and security considerations on the individual patient rather than dwelling on system issues; (5) identify resource needs for inpatient and community care; (6) provide a foundation for monitoring patient adjustment to various levels of stressors, both in the hospital and the community; (7) provide a mechanism for timely crisis intervention for individual patients; (8) afford administrative and clinical staff a mechanism for peer review; (9) are cost effective compared with external review boards; (10) provide data and a tracking mechanism for quality improvement for the forensic system of care; and (11) provide an education/training function for direct care and professional staff.