Forensic Mental Health

A fascinating look at the understudied linkage between mental health and the criminal 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, Ph.D, Virginia Commonwealth University Bratina combines her academic and practitioner experience to produce an important text. Using the Sequential Intercept Model (SMI) framework, she carefully addresses 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, Ph.D, 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 foundation that highlights systems issues, interventions, and the experiences of professionals and people with mental illnesses. This is an essential text for students and practitioners in fields including social work, criminal justice, community psychology. Amy C. Watson, PhD, Professor, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee