Have a great devices first other practicing keep helping refused of sizes and levels of sophistication, but they are by no means alone. A recent article NCCHC by Dr. Aufderheide focuses on managing litigation risk, the process outlining several principles that help to keep correctional institutions within the standard of care. He frames them as elements of a legally defensible program; I like to think they're things institution and its staff should do regardless of the of a malpractice lawsuit. Monitoring and ongoing evaluation of segregated inmates, not just those with known mental illness. Admin seg routinely exacerbates symptoms the mentally ill it can also bring out symptoms undiagnosed inmates who have been able to control themselves the general population. Some inmates tolerate admin seg better than others, but expect psychological problems anyone who has to be isolated. Having enough appropriately trained staff. If the need is for recognizing psychiatric symptoms, be sure the people who are doing the monitoring and care know what to look for, and know how to report what they 't use technology as a substitute for adequate staffing. The worst example: using video cameras place of physical presence to monitor for suicidal behavior. One item I didn't this article is Documentation. Detailed, contemporaneous notes about what mentally ill inmates say and do, what staff observes, what is done to address problems, and things are done are critical to staff communication, continuing care, later understanding of problem situations, and defense of one's actions should complaints or litigation arise. It's not always easy to implement the above small and or underfunded settings. Nevertheless, once the institution takes custody of individual it becomes responsible for meeting revelant standards for his or her care Correctional systems should reasonably expect that they encounter a variety of mentally ill persons, of whom require special recognition, diagnosis, protection, and care. Diagnostic Cautions Forensic Work Recent publication of the creates opportunity to remind folks of its Cautionary Statement for Forensic Use. like its predecessors, was designed and intended for use by clinicians and mental health researchers, not lawyers or courts. Nevertheless, as the APA nomenclature has become standard U.S. mental health professions, its vocabulary has spread into our news media, social culture, and common conversation. the process, the words are frequently misused and clinical scientific intent definitions get lost the shuffle. Perhaps more important for forensic purposes, the original intent of the is often forgotten, or at least set aside. The civil and criminal law must often consider scientific or clinical concepts. One way that it does is by using experts a particular field to translate our professional jargon and issues such a way that attorneys, judges, and juries can examine their relevance to a case at hand. Experts 't make the legal or judicial decisions, but we're relied upon to present professional information clearly and accurately the courts can do their work. Lawyers and litigants want to win their cases. They intentionally or simply erroneously misconstrue professional information, such as diagnostic criteria, to fit their interests. It's our mental health experts' job to temper that misguidedness with knowledge and honesty. Psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health experts are often tempted to skew their diagnostic views as well. Lawyers can be very persuasive, and litigants can appear deserving even when the facts 't support their cases. Clinical professionals with limited forensic training or experience are particularly vulnerable to misusing the forensic settings. That's where the Cautionary Statement for Forensic Use comes The text speaks for itself:. he use of should be informed by awareness of the risks and limitations of its use forensic settings there is a risk that diagnostic information be misused or misunderstood because