Risk Management In Mental Health Services Page 12
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54Self harm/suicide risk:
The service user can be at risk from self harm,
intentional injury or killing oneself, action/behaviours destructive to
one’s own safety or health;
Mental Instability:
The service user can be a risk to self or others
because of fluctuating and/or unpredictable mental health function
especially in relation to command hallucinations and other “at risk”
psychotic or disturbed phenomena;
Risk to others:
The service user can be at risk of causing harm or
danger, or encouraging/involving others in the causing of harm or injury
to others.
People who pose a risk to themselves or others may have other difficulties
in their lives, such as substance misuse, legal or financial problems or
housing difficulties. Consequently they require a spectrum of services and
supports. This means that effective working between the diffe r e n t
agencies responsible for the various aspects of care is essential. Risk
assessment and management does not fall exclusively within the domain
of any single profession or discipline. No agency can operate in isolation
when working with people with mental health risk (O’Rourke and
Hammond, 2005).
1.6 Duty of Care
Risk assessment and management involves a professional duty of care on
the part of those working in mental health services towards the individual
service user, where health needs are balanced with issues of personal and
public safe t y. Health professionals must balance the promotion of client
decision making and autonomy with the demands of personal, profe s s i o n a l
and public accountability. Managing risk should not just focus on
eliminating risk, it is about providing a process for ensuring the potential
benefits identified are increased and the likelihood of harms occurring as
a result of taking risks are reduced (Titterton, 2005).
As part of their everyday work, the mental health professional is
required to comply with specific responsibilities under health and safe t y
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