Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act

The Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act came into effect on Tuesday, July 3rd, 2007.

Fact sheets and links to other important information on the Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment Act are available from the Nova Scotia Department of Health. To view, click here.


I have serious concerns about the accuracy of some of the Nova Scotia Department of Health Fact Sheets, as well as the accuracy of the webpage itself.

For example, the criteria for involuntary admission are, in fact:

Section 17
Where a psychiatrist has conducted an involuntary psychiatric assessment and is of the opinion that

(a) the person has a mental disorder;

(b) the person is in need of the psychiatric treatment provided in a psychiatric facility;

(c) the person, as a result of the mental disorder,

(i) is threatening or attempting to cause serious harm to himself or herself or has recently done so, has recently caused serious harm to himself or herself, is seriously harming or is threatening serious harm towards another person or has recently done so, or

(ii) is likely to suffer serious physical impairment or serious mental deterioration, or both;

(d) the person requires psychiatric treatment in a psychiatric facility and is not suitable for inpatient admission as a voluntary patient; and

(e) as a result of the mental disorder, the person does not have the capacity to make admission and treatment decisions,

the psychiatrist may admit the person as an involuntary patient by completing and filing with the chief executive officer a declaration of involuntary admission in the form prescribed by the regulations.

The [U.K.] Mental Health Act 2007: the final report

Produced by the Mental Health Alliance. Click here to read (downloads a PDF).

To view The Mental Health Act 2007, which was given Royal Assent on July 19th, 2007, click here (also downloads a PDF).

Falling through the Cracks --

-- Virginia Tech and the Restructuring of College Mental Health Services

An article from the July 12th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. Click here to view (downloads a PDF).

Bazelon Center Offers Educational Institutions a Model Policy for Addressing Student Mental Health Issues

Washington DC, May 16, 2007--The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law today released a model policy to help colleges and universities develop a non-discriminatory, non-punitive approach to students in crisis because of mental health problems. The document offers a response to serious mental health problems among college and university students and schools' lack of consensus on what to do when such students are in crisis.

Supporting Students: A Model Policy for Colleges and Universities was developed by Bazelon Center attorneys after consultation with mental health experts, higher education administrators, counselors and students. It is a collection of best practices that all colleges and universities can adopt.

"We want to send a clear message to students that it is safe to seek mental health services," said Bazelon Executive Director Robert Bernstein.

In the 2006 National College Health Assessment, 43.8% of the 94,806 students surveyed reported they "felt so depressed it was difficult to function" during the past year, and 9.3% that they had "seriously considered suicide" during the year. Students also named depression as one of the top ten impediments to academic performance.

Most campuses today have counseling services that are confidential and free of charge. However, when students are in crisis, particularly if they manifest self-injurious thoughts or behavior, colleges and universities often are unsure of how to address these issues. Some are concerned about potential harm and legal liability.

"Too often colleges and universities respond to students with mental illnesses in punitive ways, requiring them to leave or evicting them from school-sponsored housing," says Bazelon Center senior staff attorney Karen Bower. "Such punitive measures discourage students from seeking help and isolate them from social and professional supports at a time of crisis, increasing the risk of harm."

"While this policy is not an attempt to address the full range of activities and services that educational institutions should undertake to promote student mental health," says Bower, "it offers a fair and humane approach to dealing with students who are in crisis."

The Bazelon Center policy offers guiding principles for how to deal fairly and non-punitively with students in crisis and how to support those whose mental health problems may be interfering with their academic, extracurricular or social lives. It also lists potential approaches to various situations and examples of accommodations that schools can make to enable such students to continue their education successfully.

"We truly believe that colleges and universities can do more to promote personal and academic success for all students," said Bower.

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national legal-advocacy organization representing adults and children with mental disabilities.

Pictured is Dana Bazelon, Student, Georgetown University Law Center.

Mental health courts gain popularity across Canada

Crown Attorney Ruth Peters Wakeham and Newfoundland Provincial Court judge David Orr in a Mental Health Court in St. John’s.

Photo by Joe Gibbons

Donalee Moulton writes in the June 1st, 2007, edition of The Lawyers Weekly:

[...]

In Nova Scotia, no formal investigation into the issue is underway, but the establishment of a mental health court is clearly being bandied about. The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society devoted the most recent issue of its monthly newsletter to the topic. In that issue, Frank Hoskins, chief Crown attorney for the Halifax Region and Special Prosecutions, noted that, “Currently, Nova Scotia has an Adult Diversion Program, which is a post-charge, pre-trial option to the criminal justice system. A pre-charge option is worthy of consideration as it would create another viable alternative to deal with minor offences.

“In cases where it’s more appropriate,” he added, “this would enable specifically trained police officers to divert an accused away from the criminal justice system. More serious offences could be directed to the mental health court where judges and lawyers qualified or trained to deal with cases of this nature (and with ready access to the appropriate health professionals, which could include psychologists, psychiatrists and case workers) could develop and implement an appropriate treatment plan.”

[...]

... “The custodial response to people with mental health problems is an historic one,” said Archie Kaiser, a professor in the Faculty of Law and Department of Psychiatry at Dalhousie University.

“To incarcerate people merely because we have failed to develop appropriate supports has always been shameful,” he added. “In 2007, this is totally unacceptable.”

Psychiatrists Join Wait Time Alliance to Advocate for Benchmarks for Psychiatric Care

Ottawa, Ontario (April 19, 2007)

For immediate release – Today the Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) joined the expanded Wait Time Alliance to step up its advocacy for wait time benchmarks in psychiatry.

“Benchmarks establish what is adequate care and this makes it easier to hold the system accountable to patients and their families,” says Dr. Manon Charbonneau, President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. “We want the federal government and health ministers to include serious psychiatric illnesses on their priority lists.”

More people die by suicide than from motor vehicle accidents. Most people who die by suicide have some history of psychiatric illness—and those who die by suicide are disproportionately young. We also know untreated depression is the greatest cause of disability in women of working age. “The tragedy is that too often such illnesses do not get treatment in time to prevent these horrible consequences,” says Dr. Charbonneau.

CPA published wait time benchmarks for patients with serious psychiatric illnesses last March. Timely access to psychiatric health services is critical for the 20 per cent of Canadians who will need mental health services in their lifetime.

The Wait Time Alliance of Canada (WTA) is a partnership of specialty associations and the Canadian Medical Association.

The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) is the national voice for Canada’s 4,100 psychiatrists and more than 600 psychiatric residents. Founded in 1951, the CPA is dedicated to promoting an environment that fosters excellence in the provision of clinical care, education and research.

View the CPA policy paper on wait time benchmarks by clicking here.

Information: Hélène Côté, Canadian Psychiatric Association
Cell: (613) 797-5488

News Release – Schizophrenia Societies adopt joint mission statement

Schizophrenia Societies join forces on new mission statement to promote improved quality of life

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada and the Provincial Schizophrenia Societies across the country are proud to announce the launch of a new, joint mission statement that promotes improved quality of life for individuals and families affected by schizophrenia.

The new mission inspires the societies to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education, support programs, public policy and research.

“This exciting new mission statement recognizes the significant changes in our understanding of and approaches to mental illness over the last 20 years,” said Chris Summerville, Interim Chief Executive Officer of the SSC.

“Today, the emphasis is rightly upon the possibility of recovery, not the mere reduction of suffering. Thus a shared mission statement more accurately reflects the purpose of the work of the schizophrenia societies across Canada,” Mr. Summerville said. “It represents our shared passion to advocate for mental health services that are recovery oriented and enhance quality of life, that advance the needs, rights and abilities of people living with and affected by schizophrenia and psychosis.”

The new statement expands beyond symptom reduction alone to promote the fact that there is hope for individuals and families to improve their quality of life. It integrates the importance of medical and psychiatric treatment to achieve maximum symptom relief and control with the myriad of other health, social and economic factors that can also add to a person’s quality of life, including but not limited to: community-based psychiatric rehabilitation with access to psychological support services; peer support; family education; safe and affordable housing; adequate income security; meaningful work; court diversion programs and mental health courts.

Quality of life and recovery are very individual, noted SSC President Michael Thomson. “The new mission statement incorporates that individuality and it promotes the idea of working towards a quality of life and recovery level that is possible and appropriate for each individual.”

The focus on the individuals and their quality of life is particularly meaningful for many impacted by the illness.

“I think the new mission statement is more proactive,” said 24-year-old Tammy Lambert of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who was diagnosed 10 years ago. “It doesn’t focus on symptoms alone; it focuses on the future and it gives people hope that they may be able to achieve a better quality of life.”

“As parents of a son who is living with schizophrenia, we welcome this new mission statement and its broader emphasis on the person rather than the illness,” said Dennis and Amy Butcher. “It conveys the hope and the opportunities that exist for many individuals – with the right supports and services – to return to a quality of life that is meaningful and fulfilling.”

The adoption of a shared mission also enhances the societies’ ability to speak with one united voice on behalf of those affected by the illness.

“As we promote the work of our societies, both individually and together, the shared mission statement enables us to promote the same message across the country and this will be a significant advantage in our ongoing efforts to educate, raise awareness and reduce the stigma and misperceptions that abound about schizophrenia,” said Mr. Summerville.

Schizophrenia is a serious biochemical brain disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disturbances in thinking and emotional and social withdrawal. Statistics show that one person in
100, or about 300,000 Canadians, will experience an episode of schizophrenia in their lifetime.

The Schizophrenia Society of Canada and the 10 Schizophrenia Societies across the country work independently and together to improve the quality of life of those affected by the illness through education, public policy, support and research.

Province backtracks over 'delusional' website

Tones down satire of Calgary ads after mental-health advocates object

To read the full article, published in the March 31st edition of the Halifax Daily News, click here.

Caregivers Nova Scotia Association and others respond to budget provisions for the caregivers of seniors

For Immediate Release

March 27, 2007

Halifax, N.S. - Caregivers Nova Scotia and its allied organizations applaud the government of Nova Scotia for its intent to establish a Department of Seniors, expand respite programs, implement a provincial adult day program, and launch a pilot program to help caregivers look after ailing seniors in their own homes.

Caregivers Nova Scotia and its allied organizations would like to emphasize, however, that the 1 in 3 adult Nova Scotians who are unpaid caregivers care for friends and family of all ages, not just seniors.

"Families of people with neuromuscular disorders are faced with many challenges,” said Ken Thompson, Executive Director, Atlantic Region, Muscular Dystrophy Canada. “Depending on the age of onset, they may face the prospect of providing attendant care to their loved ones for 30 years or more. Combine this with the need for highly customized medical and mobility equipment, and you will find many families in Nova Scotia and across the Atlantic Region, facing serious financial and emotional hardship."

“Many challenges also impact those Nova Scotians who provide support and care for a family member or friend affected by schizophrenia, termed youth’s greatest disabler,” said Stephen Ayer, Executive Director of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia. “Resources are required to provide these oftentimes forgotten caregivers with: (1) up-to-date information on schizophrenia and psychosis; (2) family education and peer support; (3) adequate and timely respite services; and (4) alternative housing options for their affected loved one. A mechanism is also needed to have the role of these caregivers recognized by the mental health system.”

“According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, over one million working Canadians take care of a person diagnosed with mental illness,” adds Ayer. “Because Nova Scotia accounts for 2.9% of Canada’s population, one could conclude that at least 29,000 working Nova Scotians – equivalent to the entire population of Yarmouth County – provide care to a person diagnosed with a mental illness.”

“Caregivers play an important role in enabling their loved ones to remain in their homes and communities,” said Sarah Cowan of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. “Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the brain and spinal cord which most often strikes between the ages of 15 and 40. Its effects last a lifetime, as does a caregiver’s duty. The MS Society recommends increasing the provision of services such as respite and attendant care to support those who care for family members with MS,” Cowan adds.

These allied organizations call upon the government of Nova Scotia to recognize the challenges faced by all family and friend caregivers in Nova Scotia and provide increased resources to help them.

Contacts:

Sharon E. Reashore, LL.B., EPC
Executive Director
Caregivers Nova Scotia Association
Ph: (902) 421-7390
Email: director@caregiversns.org

Ken Thompson
Executive Director, Atlantic Region
Muscular Dystrophy Canada
Ph: (902) 429-6322 ext 226
Email: ken.thompson@muscle.ca

Stephen W. Ayer, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
Ph: (902) 465-2601
Email: ssns@ns.sympatico.ca

Sarah Cowan
Manager, Communications and Government Relations
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Atlantic Division
Ph: (902) 468-8230
Email: Sarah.Cowan@mssociety.ca