International Association of Law and Mental Health Conference

Exploring New Perspectives in Barcelona

Camp Nou, the streets where George Orwell and the International Brigades fought during the Spanish Civil War, and La Sagrada Familia – these are all sights that I did not have time to see during my recent trip to Barcelona for a five-day conference.

However, thanks to funding from the School of Social Work and Social Policy here at the University of Strathclyde, I recently attended the International Association of Law and Mental Health conference, held at the University of Barcelona.

Presenting Global Approaches to Secure Care

Alongside CYCJ associate, Associate Professor Diana Johns of the University of Melbourne, I presented a paper on the differing models and approaches to secure care across the globe and highlighted some of our thinking on the divergent approaches taken by jurisdictions to those children who face, make or take the highest level of risk.  The criteria adopted across the Global North is similar and familiar to us in Scotland, but over the past year, I’ve been speaking to researchers from across the world, hearing about the slightly differing roles and purposes that secure care plays. Our presentation also gave us the chance to test-run vignettes which we hoped would tease out these issues in more detail before they are shared with participants later this year via surveys, focus groups and interviews in a project that involves researchers and academics from The Netherlands, Australia, England and Wales.

Please get in touch if you’d be interested in participating; particularly if you are from outside the UK.

Insights from the Conference

Not only did the trip offer a chance to share our thoughts, but to listen to a wide range of inputs covering diverse areas of the mental health and legal world.  With up to 24 inputs each day, it is hard to summarise everything I took from the conference, but presentations that stood out include Professor Clare Allely – a former associate of CYCJ – presenting data on the impact of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) upon those giving evidence in court.  I was particularly interested in the multiple presentations that people with ASD can experience, dispelling the myth that there is a standard profile or that each person’s risks, needs and responsivity issues are similar.

Highlighting potential challenges in time perception, or comprehension of complex sentences, Clare reminded me of the additional obstacles and barriers that are imposed and the need for all actors within the court arena to be mindful of speech language and communication needs.  Her presentation included a few examples of tools that could be used, and resources to consider, that help in this regard; you can access them for free via the Advocate’s Gateway website. On that note, you might find this chapter of the CYCJ practice guide handy, as of course is Claire’s most recent book.

Following this, Professor Eddie Chaplin from London South Bank University highlighted the role of liaison and diversion services for those who are neuro-divergent, aiming to identify and support those people who enter the court system and for whom the process of trial and community supervision may be exceptionally challenging.  The parallels to Scotland’s growing Diversion from Prosecution were clear, aiming to address the underlying factors that contribute to the alleged offending without the – often unnecessary – act of conviction and punishment. Again like Scotland, the services in question were somewhat inconsistent, with one area delivering a system markedly different from that operating elsewhere, and capacity issues impacting upon outcomes.  You can read more about this study here, and I’m hoping to invite Eddie along to a future Diversion forum.  Please send me an email if you’d like added to the DfP mailing list.

Finally, Dr Jane McCarthy’s paper on the identification of Subthreshold Neurodevelopmental Disorders within forensic services was particularly relevant given my interest in secure care and the increasing prevalence of neurodiversity amongst children and young people in conflict with the law.  Jane made the point that the absence of a diagnosis does not reduce vulnerability; that the medical labels we attach to people are merely diagnostic heuristics that affect minimal change in the material reality of a person’s life.

In short, a diagnosis doesn’t actually change anything for the individual in question, but rather it is the supports and strategies put in place that make any difference.  Her presentation made me think of the urgency with which some practitioners seek to have a particular issue attributed to a condition, and whether an over-reliance on medical explanations may ‘other’ the child or result in a package of support that veers towards pathologizing the child rather than attending to the ecological factors at play.  But, as Jane explained, understanding the needs of those with Subthreshold Neurodevelopmental Disorders is of great importance given the correlation between various traits and adversity such as risk-taking, mental well-being and anxiety; issues that are commonplace within the population of children who come into conflict with the law.  You can read more from Jane in her most recent book, which features a chapter dedicated to young people.

Conclusion

All in all, the trip to Barcelona provided me with plenty to think about and resulted in introductions and networking opportunities that simply aren’t possible through Teams or Zoom.

Mucho Gracias to the University of Strathclyde’s Social Work and Social Policy department for funding this trip, and to CYCJ for affording me the time away from the office.

Ross Gibson,
Practice Development Advisor
ross.a.gibson@strath.ac.uk