The social atmosphere in forensic hospitals and correctional institutions is crucial to their success – this “manual and more” shows how to assess the climate and identify ways of improving it.
The Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES) described here is a short, well-validated questionnaire that measures three essentialfacets of an institution’s social atmosphere. An overview of the EssenCES is followed by detailed advice on how to administer and scoreit and how to interpret findings, as well as reference norms from various countries and types of institutions. The EssenCES “manual andmore” is thus a highly useful tool for researchers, clinicians, and service managers working in forensic settings.
Praise for the book
"An accessible resource providing structured guidance on the administration, scoring and interpretation of the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES) questionnaire. The manual delivers thought-provoking suggestions on how to improve, and indeed maintain the therapeutic climate on a psychiatric ward or prison wing. With reference to normative statistics from different institutions and across the globe, the text will not only help fill the void in this area of social climate research, but it will also assist clinicians to make informed decisions on the social and therapeutic atmosphere within their service. The inclusion of the EssenCES within the appendix is welcomed. I strongly recommend this manual for researchers and clinicians working in forensic services."
Dr Michael Lewis, PhD, Psychol Department of Neuroscience, Psychology & Behaviour Centre for Medicine, University of Leicester, UK
"The EssenCES assesses highly important aspects of the treatment environment in correctional settings. This manual is a very readable account not only of how to administer and interpret the EssenCES but also of ways to improve the therapeutic climate on a ward or prison wing. All clinicians and researchers who want to help make forensic treatment environments safe and effective should buy this book."
Mary McMurran, PhD, Professor of Personality Disorder Research, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, UK
"This book is important and essential for everybody who is interested in improving or evaluating the social climate in different forensic treatment and correctional settings. It contributes to new knowledge in an underresearched area of social climate. I hope as many people as possible will read it and use it in both research and practice.
Jan Ivar Røssberg, Professor of Psychiatry, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
"Schalast and Tonkin have done a remarkable job in bringing together this timely and well resourced manual. Anyone who works in forensic psychiatric or correctional settings will find this resource a must read when assessing the essential traits of the social and therapeutic atmosphere. Including normative data from across the world, the authors have produced a much needed tool that will assist clinicians in the administration and interpretation of the EssenCES in both clinical and forensic settings.
Leam A. Craig, PhD, FBPsS, Consultant Clinical Forensic Psychologist, FPP Ltd; Visiting Professor in Clinical Forensic Psychology, Birmingham City University, UK; Professor (Hon) of Forensic Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK