Secure care

NT Health manages 2 specialist forensic disability support facilities in the Northern Territory - cottages and a secure care facility.

Cottages

The cottages are on the grounds of the Darwin Correctional Precinct.

The cottages are not exclusively a ‘step-down’ from the Darwin Correctional Centre.

They are a facility where specialist disability services can be undertaken for eligible clients who need a higher level of support in relation to high risk behaviours.

The cottages are staffed by disability support workers trained to support clients with disabilities.

They are administered under the Disability Services Act 1993.

Secure care

The secure care facility is next to the Alice Springs Correctional Centre.

The facility provides direct care services to high risk, complex clients who are subject to custodial and non-custodial supervision orders under the Criminal Code. It also provides care to clients with dual diagnosis and exceptional needs.

The service provides 24/7 residential care, intensive therapeutic interventions and person-centred support to enable clients to:

• improve health and wellbeing and maximise their quality of life
• reduce risk behaviours
• increase opportunities for community integration.

The aim of the 24/7 intensive therapeutic disability residential care is to increase client capacity to enable them to step down to a less restrictive care setting as quickly and as safely as possible.

Eligibility of clients under supervision orders made by the Supreme Court

The existence of a supervision order for a client does not make a client automatically eligible or ineligible for the service.

Clients will be assessed individually by the Forensic Disability Unit against eligibility criteria.

Clients subject to a supervision order under part IIA of the Criminal Code must be assessed and approved for admission procedures, and are subject to the eligibility criteria under section 5 of the Act. Clients subject to an order are prioritised.