School: Nursing and Midwifery

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Forensic Mental Health
  • Unit Code

    CMH5217
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mrs Amanda COLE

Description

Students will gain an extensive knowledge of theoretical and practical issues in forensic mental health including a critical awareness of the current issues, debates and insights within the specialty. The diversity of the forensic population, legal and criminal justice systems will be explored. How individual mental health factors influence offending behaviour will also be discussed. Students will learn the principles of working effectively with forensic mental health clients and explore the perceptions mental health professionals may have about working with this population.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate legal, ethical and policy dimensions of contemporary forensic mental health practice including cultural and organisational dimensions.
  2. Appraise the process of effective assessment and management of forensic mental health clients in a range of settings.
  3. Analyse the possible pathways by which mental disorders are linked to offending, and how these disorders influence different types of behaviours.
  4. Critically reflect on the role of a therapeutic alliance when working with forensic mental health clients.
  5. Critically review a range of strategies to identify and promote the establishment of therapeutic relationships with forensic mental health clients.

Unit Content

  1. Social context and demographics of the forensic population and how mental disorders link with offending behaviour.
  2. Mental Health Act and legal frameworks in forensic mental health, e.g. Mentally Disordered Offenders Act, Prisons Act.
  3. Boundaries, challenges and ethical dimensions in the forensic context.
  4. Assessing risk, risk reduction and risk management in the forensic mental health context, including violence and aggression.
  5. Treatment and management of forensic mental health clients, including the establishing of a therapeutic alliance and collaborative working in multidisciplinary teams.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students will engage and learn through a range of interactive and contemporary methods of teaching and learning. These include online learning, virtual environments, discussion boards, interactive web cases/quizzes, and e-reading packages.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentReview of forensic mental health services20%
TestForensic mental health and the therapeutic relationship 40%
TestEnd of semester open book assessment40%

Core Reading(s)

  • Gunn, K., & Taylor, P. J. (2014). Forensic psychiatry: Clinical, legal and ethical issues. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/872582065

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

CMH5217|1|1

School: Nursing and Midwifery

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Forensic Mental Health
  • Unit Code

    CMH5217
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Mrs Amanda COLE

Description

Students will gain an extensive knowledge of theoretical and practical issues in forensic mental health including a critical awareness of the current issues, debates and insights within the specialty. The diversity of the forensic population, legal and criminal justice systems will be explored. How individual mental health factors influence offending behaviour will also be discussed. Students will learn the principles of working effectively with forensic mental health clients and explore the perceptions mental health professionals may have about working with this population.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate legal, ethical and policy dimensions of contemporary forensic mental health practice including cultural and organisational dimensions.
  2. Appraise the process of effective assessment and management of forensic mental health clients in a range of settings.
  3. Analyse the possible pathways by which mental disorders are linked to offending, and how these disorders influence different types of behaviours.
  4. Critically reflect on the role of a therapeutic alliance when working with forensic mental health clients.
  5. Critically review a range of strategies to identify and promote the establishment of therapeutic relationships with forensic mental health clients.

Unit Content

  1. Social context and demographics of the forensic population and how mental disorders link with offending behaviour.
  2. Mental Health Act and legal frameworks in forensic mental health, e.g. Mentally Disordered Offenders Act, Prisons Act.
  3. Boundaries, challenges and ethical dimensions in the forensic context.
  4. Assessing risk, risk reduction and risk management in the forensic mental health context, including violence and aggression.
  5. Treatment and management of forensic mental health clients, including the establishing of a therapeutic alliance and collaborative working in multidisciplinary teams.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Additional Learning Experience Information

Students will engage and learn through a range of interactive and contemporary methods of teaching and learning. These include online learning, virtual environments, discussion boards, interactive web cases/quizzes, and e-reading packages.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentReview of forensic mental health services20%
TestForensic mental health and the therapeutic relationship 40%
TestEnd of semester open book assessment40%

Core Reading(s)

  • Gunn, K., & Taylor, P. J. (2014). Forensic psychiatry: Clinical, legal and ethical issues. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/872582065
  • Gunn, K., & Taylor, P. J. (2014). Forensic psychiatry: Clinical, legal and ethical issues. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group. Retrieved from https://ecu.on.worldcat.org/oclc/872582065

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

CMH5217|1|2