units

FOR5008

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 17 April 2024

print version

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

Monash University

6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine

Coordinator(s)

Dr Luke Streitberg

Quota applies

This unit is quota restricted. Selection is on a first-in, first enrolled basis. For further information please contact the Postgraduate Course Administrator via email postgrad.courses@vifm.org or phone 03 9684 4115.

Offered

Southbank

  • Second semester 2016 (Online)

Synopsis

The aim of this unit is to present and discuss the current issues arising from the provision of a medical service in a custodial setting. The topics covered provide insights into the health impacts of penal institutions and the powers and responsibilities of custodians; ethical issues; fitness for interview; fitness for detention; deaths in custody; interpersonal violence and the assessment and management of some frequently presenting medical problems (specifically mental illness and addiction).

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. Evaluate the responsibilities and powers of custodians;
  2. Distinguish between the functions and purposes of custodial and penal institutions;
  3. Outline procedures for investigating complaints by prisoners, and the issues surrounding deaths in custody;
  4. Evaluate the ethical issues of the doctor/patient relationship in a custodial setting;
  5. Conduct an assessment of an individual's fitness to be interviewed or detained in custody;
  6. Create management strategies to a range of medical problems presenting in the custodial setting;
  7. Identify and evaluate the challenges related to safe prescribing of medications in a custodial environment.

Assessment

Assignments / essays (30%)
Case studies (40%)
Presentations (10%)
Casebook workbook (20%)

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Luke Streitberg, Dr Richard Bassed

Off-campus attendance requirements

Compulsory 2 day workshop.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Forensic medicine

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

postgrad.courses@vifm.org