III. Mental Health Offenders

Triggers:

Many serious mental disorders, especially schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, can manifest themselves without any special triggering event. Other disorders, however, can be controlled. Staff should assess stress factors in offenders' lives and help them avoid said stressors. Typically, loss of an important relationship, home or job, and physical or sexual victimization cause great stress on offenders and may bring on an episode of illness. Staff should anticipate these kinds of events and other stressful situations and as much as possible try to prevent them.