Specialist disability support

Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative

The Multiple and Complex Needs Initiative (MACNI) is a time-limited specialist service for people 16 years and older, who have been identified as having multiple and complex needs. This includes people with combinations of:

• Mental illness
• Substance abuse issues
• Intellectual impairment
• Acquired brain injury 
• Forensic issues.

Forensic Disability Program 

Victoria's Forensic Disability Program provides support and treatment for people with a cognitive impairment involved in the criminal justice system. The program helps people with a cognitive impairment reduce their likelihood to reoffend and improve their quality of life, which helps to increase community safety.  For more information, see the Forensic Disability Program page on our Services website.  

Serious Offenders Coordination

Victoria’s post-sentence scheme is supported by the Serious Offenders Act 2018 (the Act).

The aim of the Act is to:

• Enhance the protection of the community by requiring offenders who have served prison sentences for certain sex and violence offences, and who continue to present unacceptable risk of committing further offences, to be subject to a detention or supervision order
• Facilitate the treatment and rehabilitation of the offenders.

The Act establishes:

• Shared responsibility to coordinate and deliver services to offenders through a coordinated services plan
• The Post-Sentence Authority
• A Multi-agency Panel.

The Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Victoria Police and the Department of Justice and Community Safety have shared responsibility to:

• Develop and review a coordinated services plan for each offender
• Provide reasonable assistance and support to each other
• Share information
• Identify and take steps to resolve issues relating to the delivery of services.

Serious Offenders Coordination team

The Serious Offenders Coordination team supports the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and its funded agencies, to meet the requirements of the Act.

The team:

• Coordinates service responses for the development and review of a coordinated services plan
• Promotes improved service responses
• Supports the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing's Multi-agency Panel members
• Coordinates, responds and reports on notices from the Post-Sentence Authority.

Prior to a coordinated services plan being presented to the Multi-agency Panel, the team will contact an area of the department or a funded service. The team will request an update on the services being provided or may request for a service to the client to commence. The team will ask that an Information Request Form is completed and returned by a set date.

Information disclosure and use

Section 284 of the Serious Offenders Act 2018 states who can use and disclose information, and for what purpose.

For a person employed in the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, and a person delivering a service or advice on behalf of the department, information use and disclosure is allowed for:

• Preparing reports, plans or any other documents required by the Act
• Making or responding to an application under the Act
• Preparing and reviewing coordinated services plans
• Delivering or providing services in a coordinated services plan
• Managing an offender.

Further information

If you require additional information email the Serious Offenders Coordination team (email in contacts) or see the related resources section.