ABSTRACT
An increasing number of people who are seeking mental health services are also involved in the legal system, whether it is because the nature of their illness invokes involuntary care or because their mental health and offending behaviours are interrelated. The emerging context of forensic practice shapes work not only in the criminal justice and youth justice systems but also in mental health, child protection, drug and alcohol services, family violence programmes and sexual assault centres. This chapter examines the specialist field of forensic practice and the cross-discipline contributions to working with individuals whose offending and its consequences draws them into both the mental health and legal systems, with specific examples coming from Australian and international literature and using a social work lens. The chapter looks at the practice challenges in this domain and the tension between legal and welfare obligations, when working in environments where legal process shapes the work context.
