PSYC39H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Mental Health Professional, Base Rate, Risk Assessment
Document Summary
In the past, risk was a dichotomy either dangerous or not dangerous. Now, risk is a range can vary in degree to which you are dangerous. Civil commitment individual is to be hospitalized voluntarily if mentally ill and poses a danger to self or others; mental health professional needs to know about probability of violence. Child protection protect from abuse, need to know about risk factors predicting childhood maltreatment. Immigration laws need to know about risk before letting them into canada. School and labour regulations include provisions to prevent endangering others. Duty to warn mental health professionals need to tell others if their patients may act in violent manner and need to intervene to prevent this behaviour. Pretrial, sentencing, release can be denied bail; if higher risk, send to secure custody. Lawyer must be able to talk about risk levels with client and when there is clear, serious danger, public safety outweighs solicitor-client privilege.
