Get ready for the 9th Annual FDDSS Conference—an in-person gathering full of insights and networking!About this Event
The Forensic Dual Diagnosis Specialty Service (FDDSS) of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is pleased to return for our 9th Annual Conference being held at the Arrell Family Foundation Auditorium . The aim of this gathering is to promote knowledge sharing between the developmental and mental health sectors to support those with developmental disabilities that have come into contact with the criminal justice and forensic mental health systems. We are excited to have the following speakers join us for their respective talks this year:
Dr. Shelley Watson (Cambrian College)
The Socio-Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Assessment Tool - 3: Revision and Field Testing Update
The Socio-Sexual Knowledge and Attitudes Assessment Tool (SSKAAT) is a psychometric measure that assesses the sexual knowledge and attitudes of persons with developmental disabilities. The SSKAAT is used in clinical, forensic, and educational settings to help guide sex education, counselling, and abuse prevention. It was originally created in 1989 and was revised in 2003. The tool employs pictures, scenarios, and open-ended questions to obtain an understanding of what individuals know about anatomy, dating behaviours, marriage various intimate activities and healthy sexuality. Although the SSKAAT-R is the most frequently used tool to assess these topics, it was created over 20 years ago and therefore many of the pictures and topics are outdated. In this presentation, the author of the new SSKAAT-3 will talk about how the SSKAAT has been revised to reflect the needs of clinicians and persons with disabilities in current times. An update on field testing will be provided, including a demonstration of the revised measure.
Michelle Mepham MSc, RBA (ON), BCBA and Kelly Hayhurst MSW, RSW (St. Joseph's Healthcare)
From Concept to Care: Implementing a DD-TRHP Program and Lessons Learned
Individuals with co-occurring developmental and mental health disorders who become involved in the forensic mental health system often experience significant challenges when transitioning from hospital to the community. Balancing risk, recovery, skill development, and community integration requires carefully planned supports that address both the clinical and psychosocial needs. Transitional residential programming can provide an important bridge between the structure of hospital and the realities of community living. This presentation describes the development and implementation of a Forensic Dual Diagnosis Transitional Residential Housing Program (DD-TRHP) and highlights key lessons learned throughout its evolution. From the outset, our approach emphasized learning from existing programs and established practices. Engagement with other hospitals and site visits offered valuable opportunities to observe different service models, identify common implementation barriers, and consider how successful practices could be adapted to our local context. Through this process, several key themes emerged, including the importance of collaboration with community partners, clear communication and transparency among stakeholders, staff training, and thoughtful consideration of both the physical and social environments in which individuals live and receive support. These lessons have informed the ongoing development of our DD-TRHP and our vision for supporting meaningful, safe, and sustainable community integration. This presentation will explore not only the ongoing barriers to transition, community integration, and service delivery, but also the unexpected strengths, innovations, and opportunities that have emerged through the program’s implementation. By reflecting on both challenges and successes, we aim to share practical insights that may inform transitional residential initiatives for individuals with dual diagnosis and forensic mental health needs.
Doug, Delroy, Natasha, Radek, Charlotte and Hannah (Centre for Addiction nad Mental Health)
Home, Belonging, and Purpose: What Community Living Means to Forensic Patients
People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who have been involved with forensic mental health services can face unique challenges when transitioning to and living in the community. While community living can provide greater independence, connection, and opportunities for participation, individuals may also encounter barriers related to stigma, access to appropriate supports, relationships, housing, services, and community inclusion.
This session will centre the perspectives of two self-advocates with IDD who previously received forensic mental health services and are now living in the community. Drawing on their own experiences, the presenters will share what community living has meant to them, the supports that have helped them succeed, and some of the barriers they have encountered along the way. They will discuss the importance of having people who listen, provide consistent and respectful support, encourage independence, and create opportunities to participate meaningfully in everyday community life.
The session will provide an opportunity to learn directly from people with lived experience about what effective community support can look like in practice. Their perspectives will highlight the importance of balancing safety and support with autonomy, choice, dignity, and opportunities for personal growth.
By placing self-advocate voices at the centre of the discussion, this presentation aims to encourage service providers, organizations, and community partners to consider how services can better support successful transitions from institutional or forensic settings and promote meaningful, inclusive lives for people with IDD in the community.
Deborah Richards MA, CHMH, RP (McMaster University) and Dr. Syeda Hashmi, BA, MD (St. Michaels Hospital)
Beyond the Behaviour: An Interdisciplinary Community Clinic Approach to Dual Diagnosis and Problematic Sexual Behaviour
This presentation will describe the development and work of a specialized community clinic supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, co-occurring mental health needs, and problematic sexual behaviours. Using an interdisciplinary, person-centred approach, the clinic integrates psychiatric, psychological, behavioural, and socio-environmental perspectives to understand the individual beyond the presenting behaviour and to identify factors contributing to risk, distress, and impairment.
The presenters will highlight how this long running, modest community-based model addresses a significant gap in care for a population that often encounters barriers to accessing appropriate assessment and treatment. Drawing on the clinic’s experience, the presenters will illustrate how coordinated interdisciplinary formulation can support individualized assessment, treatment planning, risk management, and community-based care while maintaining a focus on dignity, autonomy, and quality of life.
Our event will once again feature our Ethics Panel made up of experts providing their thoughts and answering questions related to complex clinical cases. Refreshments and lunch will be included.
Event venue
1025 Queen St W, 1025 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.