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Smaller TextForensic Psychiatry Program
General Description and Overview
Forensic Psychiatry focuses on the interrelationships between psychiatry and the law. Our program offers a variety of forensic experiences.
We have a Medium and Minimum Secure Forensic units as well as a Transitional Out Reach Team out-patient service (TORT) dealing with high risk forensic patients in the community. The service conducts assessments of Fitness to Stand Trial, Criminal Responsibility and various Risk Assessments. These are Court ordered assessments generally conducted on the Medium Secure Service. In addition these services manage a variety of patients found Unfit to Stand Trial or Not Criminally Responsible now under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Review Board.
We conduct weekly Fitness to Stand Trial Clinics at the Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre and several specialty clinics in our Out-patient program. Experiences are available not only within the Forensic Service, but also correctional psychiatry experiences may be obtained through our linkage through correctional psychiatrists also on our service.
Experiences are available to testify in Court as well as to present before the Ontario Review Board. Other specific experiences include the opportunity to be involved in the assessment of Dangerous Offenders/Long Term Offenders, Sex Offenders and civil cases.
Our service is a division within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University and as such aspires to high standards in clinical care, education and research. As a multidisciplinary program there are opportunities for team work within a multidisciplinary service.
Additional experiences in videoconferencing/telemedicine are available within the program.
Specialty Services or Clinics
Fitness to Stand Trial Clinic,Transitional Outreach Team, Capacity Clinic, Aggression and Impulsivity Clinic, Clinic for Older Adults who have problems with the Criminal Justice System, Healthy Lifestyles Clinic (Metabolic Clinic), Correctional Psychiatry.
Active Faculty
- Dr. Gary Chaimowitz
- Dr. Joseph Ferencz
- Dr. Richard Padgett
- Dr. Mikhail Epelbaum
- Dr. Irina Skladman
- Dr. Mini Mamak (Psychology)
- Dr. Heather Moulden (Psychology)
Contact Us
Suzy Konick
Administrative Assistant
Phone: (905) 522-1155 extension: 35424
