Programs and Treatments

The Institut national de psychiatrie légale Philippe-Pinel is an ultra-specialized third-line facility that treats patients from across Québec, including:

• the healthcare network, psychiatric and other hospitals
• rehabilitation centres

• prevention centres, Québec courts, criminal and penal courts, detention centres, Québec penitentiaries, youth centres

• transition houses, care homes, and more.

Rarely, the Institut will accommodate patients from outside Québec who are referred by facilities that do not possess the highly specialized resources and safe environment required to evaluate and treat difficult cases.

After they are evaluated, patients admitted to the Institut are transferred to one of the units offering care programs and specific treatments for their particular condition.

Each care unit uses a treatment plan specifically adapted to the person being hospitalized. Patients who stay at the Institut are placed in the care of a multidisciplinary team made up of psychiatrists, psychologists, criminologists, occupational therapists, social workers, art therapists, sociotherapists, specialized pacification and safety workers, and nurses.

The services provided are based on the Irish model, specifically the DUNDRUM model, which consists of four tools that use an approach of professional judgement structured to evaluate safety, level of urgency, progression in programs, and evolution within the facility—including self-management and risk of violence.

Clinical programming is divided into various pillars, including physical health, mental health, alcohol and drugs, behavioural issues, personal care and daily activities, education, work, hobbies, and family/social networks.