Letter to the Editor from the SSNS

A letter to the editor published in today's edition of The Chronicle Herald:

Re-engage society

In response to Ainslie MacDougal and Stanley Kutcher’s April 23 opinion piece, a mental health court will better serve the mentally ill by introducing, and sometimes re-introducing, a certain population of these individuals to much needed mental health care. The cost-effectiveness of these courts compared to the traditional means of incarceration is just another indicator of how beneficial these courts will be for everyone.

Our everyday involvement with people who live with schizophrenia/psychosis, as well as their family members and friends, and our expertise with the many issues all of these individuals encounter make the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia a logical collaborator in the mental health court planning process. When the idea was conceived, we were asked to participate in preliminary talks. However, at this point, we have been left out of the planning process. We remain hopeful that the provincial government will re-engage the society as it moves forward with developing a mental health court.

Matthew H.W. Jack, policy adviser, Schizophrenia Society of N.S.