News | Forensicare

03 Nov 2026

Reflecting on Forensicare’s achievements in 2025-26

We’re pleased to share the Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health’s 2025-26 Annual Report. This year, we made strong progress on our strategic priorities while continuing to support people to live safe, connected, meaningful lives and helping to create safer communities across Victoria. These achievements reflect the dedication of our staff, the insights of consumers and carers, and the strength of our partnerships across the mental health and justice systems. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this important work over the [...]

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20 Mar 2025

Department of Health Aboriginal Mental Health Traineeship

We’d like to congratulate Cameron Balcombe (Olkola and Djabugay) on being one of the first graduates of the Department of Health’s Aboriginal Mental Health Traineeship. Take a look at this video of Cam and his colleague Daniel (Biripi) speaking of their experience and the amazing work they’ve completed since graduating.

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22 Jan 2025

Safewards Secure Community of Practice

The Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (CFBS) in partnership with Forensicare, have launched the Safewards Secure Community of Practice. Safewards Secure is an addition to the original Safewards model and has been specifically developed for forensic mental health services using contemporary literature and verified by forensic mental health experts. This LinkedIn page has been designed for people with an interest in Safewards Secure to engage with others and share research, practice and implementation.Join the Safewards Secure CoP at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13056240/

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28 Oct 2024

New ID requirements for Visitors to Thomas Embling Hospital

From mid-morning on 17 October our new hospital entrance became the way all consumers, staff and visitors access Thomas Embling Hospital (TEH). This marks the completion of the first major new building at the hospital, and a major milestone in our hospital redevelopment. The new entrance building was designed to help the pathway in, and out, of the hospital to be clear, smooth and accessible to all. The foyer has easy access to our reception staff and a quiet [...]

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13 Oct 2023

Colmán O’Driscoll starts as CEO of Forensicare

We are pleased to welcome Colmán O’Driscoll as Chief Executive Officer of Forensicare. With over 25 years’ experience across health and related systems, Colmán is both a Forensic Mental Health Clinician and health systems executive, having held senior leadership roles within government, corporate, not-for-profit, and private sectors, most recently serving as CEO of Burwood and Richmond hospitals in NSW, and Group Lead, Mental Health Strategy (NSW) with St John of God Health Care. Colmán’s experience includes roles in the NSW Justice [...]

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16 Jun 2023

Distinguished Professor James Ogloff awarded the 2023 Rüdiger Müller-Isberner Award

Distinguished Professor James Ogloff has been awarded the 2023 Rüdiger Müller-Isberner Award by the International Association of Forensic Mental Health Sciences (IAFMHS). The Rüdiger Müller-Isberner Award is intended to honour a long-standing member of the association whose career epitomises the fusion of clinical practice, scholarly research, and mentorship. The award is named after esteemed German forensic psychiatrist, Rüdiger Müller-Isberner, founding member of the IAFMHS and internationally renowned with respect to, in particular, the integration of science and practice.

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13 Jun 2023

Forensicare CEO Dr Margaret Grigg awarded OAM

Chief Executive Officer Margaret Grigg received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the King’s Birthday 2023 Honours List for her contributions to mental health. Margaret began her local and international career in the health, mental health and human services sector as a mental health nurse at Plenty Hospital. Since then, her roles have included working as the Deputy Chief Executive of Mind Australia, the Vice President of the Kyneton District Health Service Board and the Senior Executive [...]

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17 Apr 2023

Forensicare CEO Dr Margaret Grigg to step down in August

After four years as Forensicare CEO, Dr Margaret Grigg will be stepping down from the role in August. During her tenure, Margaret has driven the development and implementation of a new Strategic Plan and Model of Care, as well as leading an important program of cultural reform across all levels of the organisation. She has guided the organisation through a period of extraordinary change and expansion across all programs and services, while navigating the many challenges of COVID-19. Margaret’s commitment to consumers [...]

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06 Dec 2022

Associate Professor Stephane Shepherd awarded ARC Grant

Associate Professor Stephane Shepherd from the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology has been awarded an ARC Discovery Grant for the project ‘Understanding the drivers and motivators of extremist violence’. The project received total funding of $864,680 for the period 2023-26 and will be conducted with fellow researchers Professor Michele Grossman, Professor Michele Pathé and Professor Paul Gill. Despite intense interest in the issue, the understanding of and ability to respond to extremist violence is limited. This [...]

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10 Nov 2022

Dr Tessa Maguire awarded 2022 Chris Abderhalden Award

Congratulations to Dr Tessa Maguire who was recently awarded the 2022 Chris Abderhalden Award for Young Researchers in the Field of Aggression in Healthcare at the 12th European Congress on Violence in Clinical Psychiatry.Tessa is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Mental Health Nursing at Swinburne University of Technology and conducts research with Forensicare as part of the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science (CFBS).Tessa received the award for her project ‘Reducing Inpatient Aggression and Use of Restrictive Interventions’.The Chris Abderhalden [...]

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