title: Out of sight, out of mind: making involuntary community treatment visible in the mental health system.
abstract: Most specialised mental health services in Australia are delivered in community settings and one in six services comprise involuntary treatment. Despite a growing demand for community treatment orders (CTOs) worldwide - and comparatively high rates of use in Australia - the clinical, legal and ethical aspects of CTOs remain contentious. This article examines federal, state and territory mental health policy documents and discovers little reference to CTOs. The "invisibility" of CTOs in mental health policy raises questions about the transparency and accountability of the mental health system, and about whether this policy silence ultimately entrenches the marginalisation of, and discrimination against, people living with mental illness.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Values, Ethics and the Law in Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW. edwina.light@sydney.edu.au
authors.forename: Edwina M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Light
authors.forename: Ian H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Kerridge
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D018166:Health Care Reform; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000628:therapy; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D028701:Patient Rights; D012941:Social Responsibility