Secure unit and risk management practices in a long-term mental health institution in Slovenia

The article addresses risk management in an institution in Slovenia that provides long-term residential care in the field of mental health. It briefly describes the country-specific context of institutional care, especially in secure units, as places where coercive measures are permitted. The articl...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Juš Škraban
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centro de Estudos Sociais da Universidade de Coimbra 2025-05-01
Series:e-cadernos ces
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Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/eces/9442
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Summary:The article addresses risk management in an institution in Slovenia that provides long-term residential care in the field of mental health. It briefly describes the country-specific context of institutional care, especially in secure units, as places where coercive measures are permitted. The article includes an analysis of an action research project embedded in the process of deinstitutionalisation. Firstly, it demonstrates that three types of placement act as the primary risk management strategy in the institution. Secondly, it shows that neither the general risk management strategies nor the risk assessment method used are centred on the individual, but rather serve to ensure the safety of the unit. The article suggests that the secure unit and its practices are repressive and violate human rights. The transformation of secure units must be a primary goal of deinstitutionalisation.
ISSN:1647-0737