Transformation of Victorian Community Forensic Mental Health Services: Past, Present & Future

The Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health (Forensicare) community forensic mental health service (CFMHS) provides forensic mental health services to consumers with severe mental illness who are involved, or at risk of being involved, with the justice system. This narrative review aimed to provide an overview of the Forensicare CFMHS evolution since 2007 and describes the current provisions and future pathways of the service. The review identified several programs currently offered by the CFMHS, highlighting a significant expansion in service provision over the past 17 years and considers these changes in line with the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, the Mental Health Act (2014), and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Act (2022). The review provides an overview of the changes to the delivery of forensic mental health services in the State of Victoria and presents a revised service model and model of care, the Community Forensic Integrative Service (CFIS) Model. A significant gap exists in the available academic literature, evidenced through the absence of published program evaluations. The review concludes that empirical research evaluating the CFMHS in Victoria should be a priority.