For many years, members of our Research team have studied the problems faced by patients admitted both to our hospital’s forensic division and to nonforensic services. Although individual problems experienced by offenders and psychiatric patients are quite numerous, our research showed that these many problems can be grouped into a relatively small number of sets or factors. The benefit of doing so is that the services known to be effective for patients’ problems are very consistent within such sets. Thus, the psychosocial therapies known to be effective for depression are very similar (necessitating the same clinician skills, for example) to those known to be effective for the severe anxiety that brings people to psychiatric hospital. Our research also showed that designing and implementing treatment is aided by taking advantage of similarities among patients in the pattern of problems they face. Thus, although at first glance, patients and offenders seem to experience a multiplicity of complex problems, research analyses can discover commonalities within both problems and patients that greatly simplify planning services. As well, for many problems, there is a well-established body of evidence about efficacious services. This knowledge is often not implemented. Thus, we also bear the responsibility for advocating evidence-based practice (examples below).  

Fact Sheet about efficacious and ethical services

Recommendations for appropriate clinical services for forensic clients

Paper about the clinical ethics of providing ECT instead of psychosocial programs for forensic clients

Recommendations for ensuring effective reduction in the overuse of seclusion and restraint 

Article about the conversion of the Concurrent Disorders Program

Publications about efficacious and ethical services