{"id":5032,"date":"2024-06-11T20:21:44","date_gmt":"2024-06-11T20:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oykhmancriminaldefence.com\/?page_id=5032"},"modified":"2026-04-25T22:49:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T22:49:41","slug":"criminal-justice-diversion-for-persons-with-mental-health-issues","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/victoria\/criminal-justice-diversion-for-persons-with-mental-health-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Criminal Justice Diversion for Persons with Mental Health Issues Victoria"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#e2e2e2;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1440px + 50px );margin-left: calc(-50px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-50px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>For certain individuals with particular circumstances, what is commonly referred to as a \u201cMental Health Diversion\u201d can not only be a great way to deal with Criminal Charges without ending up with a Criminal Record, but can be personally and even professionally beneficial. If you\u2019re looking for more detail on how this works locally, see our guide to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/victoria\/criminal-justice-diversion-for-persons-with-mental-health-issues\/\">Criminal Justice Diversion for Persons with Mental Health Issues in Victoria<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In Victoria, the idea behind the Mental Health Diversion process is that certain instances of offending behaviour can be caused by untreated or poorly treated mental health issues combined with the inadequate and often inaccessible treatment available to the average person. Often when these issues are addressed, offending behaviour is reduced or eliminated. In these circumstances, it is far more beneficial to those involved to deal with the underlying cause of the offending behaviour than it is to simply punish the offender. In some cases, there may also be other\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/victoria\/diversion-program-resolutions\/\">resolutions to avoid a criminal record<\/a>\u00a0depending on the circumstances.<\/p>\n<p>The Criminal Justice system is something of a blunt instrument in circumstances such as these and this program provides an opportunity for a more tailored approach. These programs focus on individuals with identifiable mental health issues who have commited a specific type of criminal offence. If you\u2019ve been charged and are unsure what happens next, you can learn more about the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/victoria\/criminal-court-process\/\">criminal court process in Victoria<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"app-wrapper\" class=\"app-container ng-tns-c2330827616-2 ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"ant-row app-wrapper ng-tns-c2330827616-2 ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"output-col ng-tns-c2330827616-2 ant-col ant-col-xs-24 ant-col-sm-18 ant-col-md-18 ant-col-lg-18\">\n<div class=\"output-wrapper ng-tns-c2330827616-2 ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"outputs-container ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"ant-tabs-content-holder\">\n<div class=\"ant-tabs-content ant-tabs-content-top ant-tabs-content-animated\">\n<div id=\"nz-tabs-6-tab-0\" class=\"ant-tabs-tabpane ant-tabs-tabpane-active ng-star-inserted\" role=\"tabpanel\" aria-labelledby=\"nz-tabs-6-tab-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\">\n<div class=\"output-content-container ng-star-inserted\">\n<div class=\"output-content-wrapper ng-star-inserted\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"container ng-star-inserted\">\n<p>The Crown is the gatekeeper of the program, and will often need to be convinced that a Mental Health Diversion is the most appropriate solution. Contact us today if you think you may be eligible for a Mental Health Diversion. We will make every effort to convince the Crown on your behalf that you are a good fit for the program. If you need immediate help, you can reach our team via our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/victoria\/contact\/\">contact page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 30px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 25px;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 25px;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 25px;margin-left : 25px;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 25px;margin-left : 25px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Criminal Justice Diversion Program for persons with mental health issues may allow certain charges to be addressed outside the traditional court process. The program focuses on support and treatment. Our lawyer can help explain the program, review your situation, and protect your rights.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":53252,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5032","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Criminal Justice Diversion for Persons with Mental Health Issues Victoria | Strategic Criminal Defence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Mental Health Diversion program is a positive step that helps to address the increasing criminalization of people with mental illness.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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