A new certified training course in forensic psychiatry kicked off on 12 May at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu. This programme supported by the Council of Europe, brought together psychiatrists from penitentiary, civilian and secure hospitals and forensic institute to improve the quality of the mental health care, raise the professional status of psychiatrists, attract new medical personnel and promote multiagency treatment and rehabilitation of offenders.

Participants used the opportunity to explore and discuss key issues such as the role of treating psychiatrists in secure settings and in the community, both in Romania and internationally. The training also addressed the importance of specialisation in forensic psychiatry, the relationship between mental disorders and offending, and strategies for managing violence and aggression. Human rights standards were a central focus throughout the course. Discussions also covered how mental illness intersects with criminal law and the Romanian justice system.

This training programme was developed by the Inter-Agency Working Group under the guidance of the Council of Europe consultants and represents the first an important step towards introducing the specialisation in forensic psychiatry in Romania.  The second phase of the training will take place before the end of the year. The activity is being carried in close cooperation with the National Administration of Penitentiaries, Ministry of Health, Faculty of Medicine of Lucian Blaga University and the Association of Public Psychiatric Hospitals.

The activity is organised as part of the project “Enhancing Health Care and Human Rights Protection in Closed Institutions in Romania”, which is financed and implemented by the Council of Europe.