Table Of Content“A fascinating look at the understudied linkage between mental health and the crim-
inal justice system. A book that needs to be incorporated into criminal justice degree
programs to better inform students and practitioners of what’s been missing in our
efforts to achieve crime prevention and justice more systematically.”
Jay Albanese, PhD, Virginia Commonwealth University
“Bratina combines her academic and practitioner experience to produce an impor-
tant text. Using the Sequential Intercept Model (SIM) framework, she carefully ad-
dresses the challenges faced by the individual consumers and personnel in every
phase of the criminal justice system, from the streets through prison reentry. This
should be mandatory reading for current and future criminal justice, social work,
and human service practitioners.”
Christine Tartaro, PhD, Distinguished Professor of
Criminal Justice, Stockton University
“As the nation moves to reform both the mental health and criminal legal systems,
practitioners and policy makers need a solid understanding of the key issues and
needs of the people these systems serve. Bratina’s text provides an excellent foun-
dation that highlights systems issues, interventions, and the experiences of pro-
fessionals and people with mental illnesses. This is an essential text for students
and practitioners in fields including social work, criminal justice, and community
psychology.”
Amy C. Watson, PhD, Professor, Helen Bader School of
Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
Forensic Mental Health
In this book author Michele P. Bratina demonstrates how the Sequential Intercept
Model (SIM) supports the integration of the U.S. healthcare and justice systems to
offer more positive outcomes for offenders with mental illness. The book describes
a criminal justice–mental health nexus that touches every population—juvenile and
adult male and female offenders, probationers and parolees, the aging adult prison
population, and victims of crime. In the United States today, the criminal justice
system functions as a mental health provider, but at great cost to society. The author
summarizes the historical roots of this crisis and provides an overview of mental ill-
ness and symptoms, using graphics, case studies, and spotlight features to illustrate
the most pressing issues encountered by justice and behavioral health professionals
and the populations they serve.
Forensic Mental Health takes a multidisciplinary approach, addressing social work,
psychology, counseling, and special education, and covers developments such as
case law related to the right to treatment and trauma-informed care. Designed for
advanced undergraduates, this text also serves as a training resource for practi-
tioners working with the many affected justice-involved individuals with mental
illness and co-occurring substance use disorders, including juveniles and veterans.
Michele P. Bratina is an Associate Professor in the Criminal Justice Department
at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Previously, she was the
Forensic and Children’s Mental Health Coordinator for the Florida Department of
Children and Families in the 19th Judicial Circuit—a role that inspired this book.
She is Past President of the Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Sciences
(NEACJS) and holds the position of Region 1 Trustee (Northeast) with the Academy
of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).
Her research has focused on specialized training for criminal justice professionals and
the development of community partnerships in forensic mental health. Other areas
of interest include secondary trauma among law enforcement officers and examin-
ing offending or offending risk and victimization through a trauma-informed lens.
Dr. Bratina’s publications have appeared in the Journal of Ethnicity in Criminal Jus-
tice, International Journal of Police Science and Management, Police Practice and
Research, Abuse: An International Impact Journal, Salus: An International Journal of
Law Enforcement & Public Safety, the Journal of Correctional Health Care, and the
Journal of Community Mental Health.
Forensic Mental Health
Framing Integrated Solutions
Second Edition
Michele P. Bratina
Designed cover image: © Evgeny Gromov / Getty Images
Second edition published 2023
by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10158
and by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Michele P. Bratina
The right of Michele P. Bratina to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from
the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
First edition published by Routledge 2017
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-63669-2 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-63554-1 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-12018-6 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003120186
Typeset in Times New Roman
by codeMantra
Access the Support Material: www.routledge.com/9780367635541
For Sal
Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xii
Contributors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxvi
CHAPTER 1 An Overview of the Mental Health–Criminal Justice
Nexus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Mental Health: Definitions, Prevalence, and
Common Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Intersections of Criminal Justice and Mental
Health: Justice-Involved PwMI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Service Utilization/Treatment Engagement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Challenges in Managing Justice-Involved PwMI . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Take-Home Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
CHAPTER 2 Historical Responses to Mental Illness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Advancements in Psychosurgery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Societal Responses to Mental Illness: Thematic Eras . . . . . . . . .42
Take-Home Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
CHAPTER 3 The Sequential Intercept Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Why Diversion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System:
An Integrative Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68
Key Diversion Points . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Research on the SIM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Take-Home Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
CHAPTER 4 Intercept Zero: Community Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
Components of Intercept 0: Prevention, Response,
and Ultimate Diversion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Response: The Crisis Care Continuum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102
Take-Home Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109
CHAPTER 5 Intercept One: Law Enforcement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120
Police as First Responders to Citizens in Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Specialized Police Responses to Crisis Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .129
ix
