Forensicare

What Forensicare does

Forensicare (legal name: Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is Victoria's statutory provider of forensic mental health services, operating as a government-owned health service under the Victorian Department of Health. Founded in 1998 and headquartered at Thomas Embling Hospital in Fairfield, Victoria, the organisation delivers a continuum of care for consumers with serious mental illness who are involved with the criminal justice system. Services span secure inpatient treatment at Thomas Embling Hospital (including the Secure Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit and the Apsley Unit), statewide community-based forensic mental health services, prison-based mental health operations (notably the 75-bed Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee service at Ravenhall Correctional Centre and services at Melbourne Assessment Prison), and court-based interventions such as the Mental Health Advice and Response Service (MHARS) at Ringwood Magistrates' Court.

The service model is direct clinical delivery rather than a technology platform: Forensicare employs more than 630 multidisciplinary staff and operates physical facilities and embedded clinical teams. Its most technology-adjacent asset is the eDASA+APP, a structured clinical instrument with an embedded aggression prevention protocol designed to reduce restrictive practices; no proprietary AI/ML platforms, APIs, or software products are disclosed. Research, teaching, and professional development are delivered through the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, a long-standing partnership with Swinburne University of Technology, which produced 86–87 academic outputs annually in recent reporting periods.

The revenue model is government-funded rather than commercial: Forensicare receives appropriations through the Victorian Department of Health and partner departments such as Corrections Victoria, with services commissioned under public health system arrangements and accessed via clinical referrals, court orders, and statutory pathways. As a statutory authority, the organisation holds an exclusive mandate for forensic mental health service provision in Victoria, and its customer base is effectively the Victorian Government. A $462.5 million capital expansion of Thomas Embling Hospital, announced in 2022 and with its first major new building operational in October 2024, is the dominant forward-looking investment and is reshaping Forensicare's inpatient capacity, including a new dedicated 34-bed women's precinct and a 48-bed medium-security men's facility.

Name

Forensicare

Legal name

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health)

Website

https://forensicare.vic.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Forensicare is Victoria's statutory forensic mental health authority, delivering secure inpatient, community-based, and prison-embedded mental health services to consumers with serious mental illness involved with the criminal justice system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Forensic Mental Health Services

NAICS

Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals (6222), Offices of Physicians, Mental Health Specialists (621112), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (92215)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-General Medical & Surgical Hospitals, Nec (8062)

akta.pro primary industry

Forensic & Correctional Behavioral Health Services (HLAFACAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Correctional Health, Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services (In-Custody) (BPAKANAG), Crisis Stabilization Units & Psychiatric Emergency Services (HLAFACAH)

Keywords

• Forensic mental health
• Mental health services
• Secure hospital care
• Community mental health
• Prison mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a Victorian government statutory authority and healthcare provider, Forensicare receives funding through government health budgets, departmental allocations, and public health system commissioning arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) operates Thomas Embling Hospital as Victoria's main secure forensic mental health hospital, alongside Community Forensic Mental Health Services, Prison Operations (including the 75-bed Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee service at Ravenhall Correctional Centre), and court-based mental health services. The organisation delivers assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation services to consumers with serious mental illness involved with the criminal justice system, supported by the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science research partnership with Swinburne University.

Product overview

Forensicare (Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health) is Victoria's statutory provider of forensic mental health services. The organization operates a multi-component service model including Thomas Embling Hospital (the state's main secure forensic mental health facility), Community Forensic Mental Health Services (statewide and regional), Prison Operations (embedded mental health services at correctional centres including the 75-bed Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee at Ravenhall), and the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (research and education partnership with Swinburne University). Additional services include the Mental Health Advice and Response Service at courts, the eDASA+APP aggression management tool, and professional training programs. Forensicare's services span inpatient hospital care, community-based treatment, and prison-based mental health services, all focused on consumers with serious mental illness involved with the justice system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Thomas Embling Hospital: Secure forensic mental health hospital operated by Forensicare providing inpatient care for consumers with serious mental illness across the justice system.
• Community Forensic Mental Health Service (CFMHS)
• Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee
• Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science

Products and services

• Thomas Embling Hospital Victoria's main secure forensic mental health hospital providing inpatient care for consumers with serious mental illness involved with the justice system, including those found not guilty by reason of mental impairment and prison patients requiring compulsory treatment under the Mental Health Act 2014.
• Community Forensic Mental Health Services Statewide and regional community-based forensic mental health services providing outpatient care, transition support, and rehabilitation for consumers with serious mental illness within the justice system.
• Ballerrt Yeram-boo-ee A 75-bed forensic mental health service at Ravenhall Correctional Centre helping male prisoners with mental illness, providing both inpatient and outpatient care. Name means 'strong tomorrow' in Wurundjeri language.
• Apsley Unit A specialized unit at Thomas Embling Hospital providing forensic mental health inpatient services. Celebrated its first anniversary in 2020.
• Secure Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit (SPICU) An 8-bed high-demand secure psychiatric intensive care unit for acutely unwell prisoners at Thomas Embling Hospital.
• Mental Health Advice and Response Service (MHARS) Service providing mental health support at Ringwood Magistrates' Court, helping vulnerable people engaged with the justice system who live with mental illness.
• Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science A partnership between Forensicare and Swinburne University of Technology, operating as Australasia's leading centre for excellence in forensic mental health and forensic behavioural science research, teaching, and practice development.
• Prison Operations Mental health services provided within prison settings across Victoria, including Forensicare's presence at Melbourne Assessment Prison and other correctional facilities.
• Professional Development and Training Professional development and training workshops delivered by experienced clinicians and researchers in forensic mental health, suitable for area mental health services, NGOs, legal, medical, and allied health professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 86 academic outputs including 57 peer reviewed articles, 2 books, 6 book chapters in 2020-21
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Australian Community Support Organisation (ACSO)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to present 10th International Criminal Justice Conference at The Edge at Federation Square, Melbourne. Conference theme 'Global Uncertainty. Building Safer and Resilient Communities'.
• Speech Pathology AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration through Speak Up podcast featuring Forensicare staff discussing speech pathology contributions to interprofessional practice in mental health and justice system.
• Victoria PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership on Enhancing Police Responses to Family Violence Project resulted in Gold award at Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Awards. Forensic psychologists embedded within police family violence teams.
• Swinburne University of TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to operate Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (CFBS), Australasia's leading centre for excellence in forensic mental health and forensic behavioural science research, teaching and practice development. CFBS produces significant academic outputs including publications, research reports, and professional development programs.
• Corrections VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership delivering forensic mental health services within Victorian correctional facilities including Ravenhall Correctional Centre and Melbourne Assessment Prison.
• Department of Health and Human Services VictoriacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department partnership for formal reporting requirements, funding arrangements, and policy alignment in delivering Victorian mental health services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Western Australia Forensic Mental Health Service: Operates Frankland Centre (forensic inpatient) and statewide community forensic services within WA Health, providing a comparable end-to-end forensic mental health model.
• Queensland Forensic Mental Health Service: The statutory provider of forensic mental health services in Queensland, operating secure inpatient units and community forensic programs — directly comparable in mandate and scope to Forensicare.
• South Australia Forensic Mental Health Service: Provides inpatient forensic mental health care and community forensic services across South Australia — a same-model, different-jurisdiction peer to Forensicare.
• Rampton Hospital (Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust): High-secure forensic psychiatric hospital in England serving mentally disordered offenders — an international benchmark for the type of inpatient services Forensicare provides at Thomas Embling Hospital.
• Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network (NSW): NSW's state-wide forensic and correctional health service, providing custodial, inpatient, and community forensic mental health services — a direct jurisdictional counterpart to Forensicare.
• Tasmania Forensic Mental Health Service: Delivers forensic mental health assessment and treatment within Tasmania's public health system; smaller-scale but structurally identical to Forensicare.

Broad incumbents

• St John of God Health Care: Large Catholic not-for-profit hospital group with significant mental health operations; new Forensicare CEO previously led St John of God Mental Health Strategy (NSW).
• Wellpath Australia (formerly Correct Care Australasia): Private provider of correctional and forensic health services across multiple jurisdictions; competes for similar contracts to those Forensicare holds with Corrections Victoria.

Regional players

• NorthWestern Mental Health (Melbourne Health): Operates the state's other adult acute mental health inpatient services within the same metropolitan catchment as Forensicare, occasionally interfacing on forensic referrals.

Others

• Mind Australia: Major psychosocial disability and community mental health NGO; previous employer of outgoing Forensicare CEO and a complementary community-based service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups/13056240
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php?m2w&s=100&p[url]=https://www.forensicare.vic.gov.au
• Xx.com/Forensicare

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forensicare