Are the provisions for assessment and treatment in the Community adequate and sufficient?
Mind believes that the provisions for treatment in the community are inappropriate and undesirable. They will not only add little therapeutic benefit, but are liable to backfire. In particular we believe that treatment in the community will: • make compulsion more widespread and last for longer periods • deter people from approaching services and destroy trust between service users and professionals • focus unduly on medication and make managing side effects of drug treatments difficult. Mind believes there would be less need for compulsion overall if there were better services in the community available for those who voluntarily request them. 2.28 In seminars held in response to the Mental Health Bills of 2002 and 2004, service users have made clear to Mind that they see compulsory treatment in the community as oppressive and unfair. Most view the proposals as unworkable and unnecessary and do not believe that they will increase public safety. There are very strong feelings that the s
