mental health in Sydney Australia.
At Justice Health we strive to achieve optimum outcomes for forensic mental health patients by employing a team of skilled healthcare professionals with a range of expertise and experience. The multi-disciplinary team approach is a hallmark of current and best-practice mental healthcare. The clinical team includes psychiatrists, psychologists, nursing staff, occupational therapists and social workers among others.
Take some time to meet some of our staff in their profiles detailed below.
Shona
Clinical Nurse Consultant (Women)
Shona has been working at Justice Health for 4 ½ years having trained as a mental health nurse in Scotland before moving to Sydney. Shona finds the forensic setting an appealing and interesting work environment and is excited about the care afforded at the new Forensic Hospital: ‘The Forensic Hospital represents a major step forward in our ability to provide safe, humane and appropriate care for forensic patients. I am very excited to be working here,’ she says.
John
Registered Nurse
Working in mental health in the United Kingdom for 6 years and at Justice Health for two, John has a broad range of clinical knowledge and enjoys the variety of patients and challenges that he encounters in his daily working life.
Of the new Forensic Hospital he says: ‘This is an exciting time for Justice Health and its employees; the Forensic Hospital is the first mental health facility of its kind in New South Wales. I am looking forward to being involved in the development of this new service and seeing the benefits this will have on our patients. This new environment is less restrictive enabling us to provide high level nursing care in a more therapeutic environment.’
Michelle
Diversional Therapist
When Michelle began at Justice Health 2 years ago, she was the first Diversional Therapist to be employed within a correctional environment. The opening of The Forensic Hospital has provided Michelle with exciting new challenges.
‘With so many limitations placed upon my scope of practice within the correctional environment, it makes it difficult to provide a quality leisure and recreation program. Within the new Forensic Hospital I am able to provide a wide variety of leisure and recreational programs that meet the individual needs of the patients in a less restrictive environment,’ she says.
Dr Anthony Samuels
Director of Training
Staff Specialist (Psychiatrist)
The Director of Training and Staff Specialist, Dr Anthony Samuels is excited about the opportunities presented by the new facility for patients and staff alike.
‘The new hospital enables us to work in a cohesive environment where treatment of forensic patients is facilitated through a hospital rather than a correctional setting. The Forensic Hospital is a fantastic opportunity for staff to participate in advanced training: it is a hub in forensic psychiatry, hosting the largest training program in Australasia,’ says Dr Samuels.
Dr Samuels lectures in psychiatry at the University of New South Wales based in Sydney and has authored numerous publications in the areas of general and forensic psychiatry. Venturing into forensic mental health was an opportunity to combine his work as a psychiatrist with his interest in the law and justice system.
Margaret
Registered Nurse
Margaret has been working with Justice Health in forensic mental health for 2 ½ years having found that general nursing and midwifery was not the right fit for her.
‘I believe Justice Health renders an opportunity to utilise knowledge and skills in mental health. It also means being part of a caring and hard working team,’ says Margaret.
She enjoys being a part of the Forensic Hospital team and the opportunity to provide care for patients in the most therapeutic of environments.
Mark
Registered Nurse
Mark has been working at Justice Health for 2 years, specialising in mental health and enjoys being able to help people during some of the most difficult and distressing periods in their life.
‘The new Forensic Hospital will only provide a better opportunity for care and I enjoy working in an increased therapeutic environment where both clients and staff have access to better resources and facilities.’
Dr Claire Gaskin
Clinical Director (Adolescent Health)
Dr Claire Gaskin has been working at Justice Health as the Clinical Director in Adolescent Mental Health for the past 2 years: after immigrating from the United Kingdom ‘I enjoy working with adolescents as I believe that there are opportunities to intervene at this stage to prevent negative outcomes and deterioration in young people with mental illnesses.’
The new Forensic Hospital will provide a positive environment to care for young people with mental health illnesses. Says Dr Gaskin, ‘I am looking forward to being able to admit young people to beds where we will be able to manage their illnesses and address their rehabilitation and offending needs as well. It is a real bonus to manage these young people through their acute illness all the way to discharge in many cases.’