To improve the mental health of Forensic Psychiatry patients through education, research, and treatment of mental disorders within a legal context.

The Division of Forensic Psychiatry provides expert and specialized inpatient and community assessment, treatment, rehabilitation, follow-up, consultation, and education-research services for, or related to, adults and adolescents with mental health problems who are in conflict with the law. Training is provided to all levels of students.

Provide a supportive learning environment that fosters the development of research, teaching, and clinical skills. Maintain dynamic and active continuing professional development. Develop research/education linkages with other departments, faculties and institutions.

• To improve the knowledge and skills of psychiatrists and other health care professionals in the assessment and treatment of psychiatric patients within a legal context.
• To promote adequate care of Forensic Psychiatry patients preventing unnecessary criminalization of these patients.
• To provide expert consultation to health care providers outside the Forensic Psychiatry Division.
• Training at all levels including undergraduate, residency, and fellowship positions.
• Provision of Continuing Professional Development including journal club, grand rounds and symposia.

• To improve the knowledge base and understanding of Forensic Psychiatric issues.
• To promote innovative and insightful research.
• To develop best practice patterns and monitor with evidence based outcome measures.
• To actively participate in the greater research community exchanging findings and collaborating at local, national, and international levels.

• To provide enhanced and expanded inpatient and community based interdisciplinary team clinical services for all Albertans within the target population.
• Program management planning principles and organizational structure will be used to develop the Provincial Forensic Psychiatry Program.
• Forensic Psychiatry will be considered a provincial resource, providing direct and indirect services (education, consultation, telemental health, amongst other resources) to individuals in all regions throughout the province of Alberta.
• Southern Alberta Services will provide services for southern and central Albertans in Regions 1-6.
• Community forensic psychiatry services will be developed in partnership with the government ministries inclusive of Justice, Regional Health Authorities, AMHB community mental health clinics, and provincial programs.
• Community geographic teams will be developed to service Albertans outside Calgary and Edmonton based upon the results of a comprehensive needs assessment.
• An accountability framework will be developed to incorporate standards, policy, performance indicator development, evaluation and research.

Faculty: