Dr Elissa Waterson1
1Queensland Forensic Mental Health Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Brisbane, Australia
Biography:
Elissa Waterson is a psychologist with over twenty years’ experience in Queensland’s Forensic Mental Health Services (QFMHS). She is the Director QFMHS, Operations and Strategy and works with forensic mental health teams and stakeholders across the state to create a network of services that is cohesive and strives to deliver excellence in forensic mental health. Elissa is also interested in cross-jurisdictional collaboration to maximise effective workforces, consistent standards, and outcomes for justice involved people.
Abstract:
Balancing public safety with the rights and treatment needs of people experiencing mental illness requires coordinated responses across policing, courts and health services. This symposium showcases innovative research, evaluation and service development from Queensland's statewide forensic mental health system, demonstrating how collaborative models can improve outcomes for consumers while supporting safer communities.
Presentations span the continuum of forensic mental health service delivery. New research from the Police Communications Centre Mental Health Liaison Service (PCC MHLS) examines individuals frequently referred with suicidality and self-harm, identifying opportunities to reduce repeat crisis contacts through more coordinated responses. A second presentation explores concordance between Court Liaison Service medicolegal recommendations and judicial outcomes, providing insights into decision-making at the interface of psychiatry and the justice system. The symposium also highlights statewide forensic service delivery through an evaluation of the Community Forensic Outreach Service (CFOS), describing the complex consumer cohort referred for specialist forensic consultation and the interventions provided to support treating teams. A further presentation describes the Queensland Fixated Threat Assessment Centre (QFTAC), an innovative multi-agency partnership between Queensland Health and Queensland Police Service that responds to individuals at elevated risk of grievance-fuelled violence. The symposium concludes by reflecting on the development and sustainability of delivering coordinated forensic mental health services across Queensland.
Collectively, these presentations demonstrate how collaboration, service evaluation and research can inform evidence-based forensic mental health practice while supporting both public safety and the rights of people experiencing mental illness.