Risk management programs

RMP provides assessment, intervention and risk management services to complex, serious and high risk/need offenders. This includes:

• Offenders who present with severe management challenges arising from complex personality issues;
  
• Offenders who engage in serious acts of violence within the custodial setting;
• Offenders who have committed the most serious sexual and violent offences in NSW;
• High risk/need offenders who are being assessed for/managed on an Order under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006. 

RMP psychologists conduct comprehensive psychological and risk assessments to inform and support case management and treatment planning and work alongside CSNSW staff and offenders to reduce the risk posed within the correctional environment. 

RMP psychologists work alongside Corrections Intelligence Group, the Extreme Threat Inmate Management Committee, Psychologists and Custodial Management to provide assessment and consultation services in relation to offenders who pose a risk to others and/or the good order and security of correctional centres.

RMP consists of the following units:

• Serious Offenders Assessment Unit (SOAU)
  
• High Risk Offenders (HRO) Team
• Personality & Behavioural Disorders Service (PBDS).

Serious Offenders Assessment Unit

The SOAU is a unit within Risk Management Programs comprised of a team of psychologists based at the Long Bay Correctional Complex.

The SOAU was established to conduct brief and comprehensive psychological assessments to assist in 'whole of sentence' case management planning for identified serious offenders. The case management plan recommendations are based on an offender's level of risk, treatment needs, and responsivity factors.

The unit maintains key relationships with the Serious Offenders Review Council (SORC), Case Management Units, sub-committees of the High Risk Offenders Assessment Committee (HROAC) and Intensive Therapeutic Programs (e.g. SOP, VOTP, IDATP).

High Risk Offenders (HRO)

The HRO team forms part of Risk Management Programs and is comprised of a team of psychologists primarily responsible for assessment and intervention services for serious and high risk offenders who may be eligible for/subject to an Order under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act. 

The HRO team are responsible for:

• Providing psychological risk assessment reports and advice in relation to offenders identified as eligible for Orders under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006
  
• Providing risk management intervention to custody and community based high risk offenders on Extended Supervision Orders (ESO)
• Providing assessment and intervention services in complex cases where an individual offender may not be suitable for CSNSW compendium programs

Offenders are referred for assessment via the Clinical Sub-Committee of the High Risk Offenders Assessment Committee (HROAC). 

HRO psychologists work alongside a multi-disciplinary team consisting of Psychologists, Community Corrections staff, Police and DCJ Legal to provide assessment, intervention and risk management services to offenders eligible for/subject to an Order under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006.

Personality & Behavioural Disorders Services

The Personality and Behavioural Disorder Services (PBDS) is a mobile team that provides high-level multidisciplinary (psychological, behavioural and custodial) support to correctional centres managing offenders with a severe personality disorder and challenging behaviours.

Types of challenging behaviours may include:

• Chronic or bizarre self-harm resulting in long term restrictive housing conditions
  
• chronic and/or serious institutional violence resulting in long term restrictive housing conditions
• other behaviours which create a high demand on centre services
• other behaviours which contravene the good order and management of a Correctional Centre

Behaviours like these create a high demand on services, limit the offender's ability to progress from long term restrictive housing conditions and may impact on access to criminogenic treatment programs due to long term problematic behaviour. 

The PBDS works collaboratively with staff (CSNSW and Justice Health) in the development and implementation of behavioural intervention, treatment and progression plans through:

• assessment of an inmate's problematic behaviour and development of individualised behaviour management plans
  
• assessment of an inmate's treatment needs and development of treatment pathways
• consultation, support and supervision services (also available to community based staff)
• staff training (also available to community based staff).