Serenity Integrated Monitoring and the High Intensity Network: a scheme that raises serious questions for practice and governance in UK psychiatry

Serenity Integrated Monitoring (SIM) involved the police and mental health crisis services working in a single team, developing case management plans that allowed a seamless move from offers of therapeutic engagement (by the mental health team) to use of coercive measures (by the police) with those who persisted with frequent crisis presentations. Withdrawn after widespread criticism, the scheme raises important questions - about the practice of mental health professionals who are involved in decisions about using criminal sanctions for people presenting in crisis, about the ethical and legal status of the sharing of confidential clinical information with the police, and about the processes that professional bodies use in promoting, monitoring and responding to controversial service developments.

Automated summary

This article introduces the Serenity Integrated Monitoring (SIM) program, which combines the efforts of the police and mental health crisis services into one team to provide seamless transitions from therapeutic engagement to coercive measures for individuals in frequent crisis situations. However, the program has faced widespread criticism and raises important questions about the ethical and legal implications of mental health professionals involved in decisions about criminal sanctions, sharing confidential clinical information with the police, and the processes used by professional bodies to promote, monitor, and respond to controversial service developments.