An end to involuntary treatment in Australian mental health social work

Mental health social work in Australia has a profound and unquestioned dependence on involuntary treatment. While other disciplines are questioning this relationship, social work has largely attempted to minimise iatrogenic harm and embed best practice social work in involuntary contexts. This chapter questions this approach, highlighting strong arguments against involuntary treatment, including its discriminatory nature, its inconsistency with international human rights law, the way it denies citizenship and its consistency with the recovery movement. Following this, justifications based on risk are rejected, and practice alternatives are presented at the macro, meso and micro levels. Social workers are encouraged to reject involuntary treatment, and embrace alternatives in their practice.