Beyond the Noise and Smoke: Some Challenges for Mental Health Professionals Entering the Forensic Arena

Clinical practice and forensic mental health reporting are different and can create conflict for mental health professionals. This article discusses some challenges confronting mental health professionals when they enter the forensic arena. It begins with a discussion of the South Australian Supreme Court Rules and Practice Direction relating to expert witnesses and their relationship to guidelines for expert witnesses published by the Australian Psychological Society and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. The article considers two particular challenges which may conflict with the Rules, Practice Direction and guidelines. Reference is also made to the literature dealing with ethical issues facing mental health professionals in the forensic arena. The article concludes that the major challenge in claiming expert status as a mental health professional in the forensic arena is being able to appreciate the difference between clinical practice and forensic requirements and to act accordingly.