Correctional Mental Health
The Correctional Mental Health group focuses on understanding why certain groups of individuals with severe mental illness are overrepresented in, and often first diagnosed within, the criminal justice system. They are often incarcerated for relatively minor offenses, offenses related to substance use, and minor offenses against judicial orders. This may result in repeated periods of brief incarceration, which can cause fracturing of community ties such as housing, income support and access to psychiatric care. Using the Screening, Triage, Assessment, Intervention and Re-integration (STAIR) care pathway as a framework, researchers work to understand cognition, course of illness, and interventions to promote reintegration into the community and reduce re-offending. Our researchers also design education and mental health interventions to ensure individuals working in the corrections system are well-supported.