New Changes to Criminal Code Sparks Debate About Proper Treatment of High-Risk Mentally Ill Offenders

There is growing concern and debate in the Mental Health field about the Federal government making significant changes to the Criminal Code of Canada. These changes will make it harder for doctors to let killers out of custody after they have been found not criminally responsible.¹ The annual review hearings for mentally ill offenders diagnosed “not criminally responsible” at time of crime, is currently on a yearly review process during their treatment at a psychiatric facility.² Due to growing concern and outcry from the victim’s families of these crimes, Ottawa is planning to push back the review process to every 3 years by 2013 and new law changes could make it more difficult for doctors to release them.³

There are mixed opinions about these up-coming law changes from mental health professionals/activists and politicians. Some of these opinions include that of Mayor Richard Stewart of Coquitlam, which is beside Port Coquitlam and its psychiatric hospital housing mentally ill killers.⁴ One of these patients includes Allan Schoenborn who was found not criminally responsible for killing his three children.⁵ The Mayor feels for the victims’ families, and agrees that changing the rules better balances the rights of all of the parties involved with crimes committed by the mentally ill. These parties include those who have not been convicted of a crime due to their illnesses, and rights of society that need protection as well.⁶

Though, many mental health professionals and social activists feel that these changes to the criminal code could result in a challenge under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for violating the rights of patients. For example, SFU criminology Prof. Simon Verdun-Jones feels that there must be more compassion for the mentally ill, stating that if our courts want to indefinitely lock someone up as a result of something they did when they were not criminally responsible they should also remember that the individual is a victim of their own mental illness as well.⁷ He feels that these changes would be violating the rights of the patients that were diagnosed “unaware of their crimes” due to their state of mental illness at the time.⁸

Catherine Latimer, Executive Director of the John Howards Society of Canada also expressed her concern, as well as the organization’s concerns with the law changes.⁹ She explained even though she understands the pain and trauma that the families of victims experience in these cases, our society has to remember that if these killers are diagnosed as not criminally responsible at the time of attack due the their state of mental illness, keeping them locked up is not a proper solution to the problem at hand.¹⁰ She feels the focus of the justice system should be to work harder to provide treatment for these people swiftly so that they no longer pose a threat to society, and it is important for people who lost their liberties to get yearly reviews.¹¹ She also suggested the Criminal Code may be vulnerable for a charter challenge if these changes go through and they are detaining someone when they are treated and no longer pose a threat to society.¹²

The issue of these law changes to the Criminal Code of Canada regarding mentally ill offenders is a highly debatable, important issue happening in our society right now. I feel that the Federal government is currently dealing with this issue through a liberal (institutional) ideological lens because they are kind of taking a band-aid/cover-up approach to deal with this problem. They are dealing with the concerns of the victim’s families by institutionalizing these high-risk mentally ill offenders for a longer period of time but not really dealing with the major underlying this issue. According to the liberal ideology lens the government provides basic security and minimal social services and this is displayed through their law changes of the Criminal Code. If they were to really start addressing the concern about mentally ill offenders they would have to look at the rooted issue of the lack of mental health assistance for those in need in our social-welfare system.

-Maggie Turpin

References:

^1-8: News, CBC. "Mentally Ill Killers Could Face Tougher Road to Release - British Columbia - CBC News." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/11/21/bc

criminal-code-changes.html>.

^9-12: "The Government Proposes Changes to Keep Mentally Ill Offenders in Detention for Longer - On The Coast - CBC Player." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 22 Nov. 2012. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local Shows/British Columbia/On The Coast/ID/2308323543/>.

Finding Affordable House While Living with a Mental Disability

       

 

 

 

 

         For my third blog I chose to focus on the rights and issues of persons with mental disabilities, and the struggles they encounter while looking for proper housing, or living in group homes. I chose to mainly focus on those who suffer from being mentally challenged. For those living with mental health disabilities it can be difficult to find and hold down living establishments due to issues such as stigma, negative attitudes, second class citizenship, affordable housing, lack of basic life skills, and accesibility to the home as well as community. These issues directly impact ones ability to rent, own, or keep their own house, or apartment in the community. I was sad to discover that even those who are mentally challenged, who are living within community based group homes, are not garunteed a spot in their homes permanently. Group homes can move or discharge residence depending on circumstances. Further more for the majority of people with serious mental illness, who rely on provincial income support, the private rental housing market is beyond their financial means. (Mental Health Association of Canada).

            For a majority of people who are mentally challenged in Ontario it can be difficult to find suitble work due to factors such as stigma, restirctions on what they as a human can handle physically, negative attitudes, maajority only being able to work part time etc. Although a majority due receive a monthly cheque titled the Ontario Disability Supplement Pay (ODSP) from the governement, these chques even when combined with part time work leave the population with a low income. For those who are not living in community based group home and are able to live on their own low income can be an incredible issue. Receiving such a low income makes it difficult for this population to find housing that is affordable for them, if they are not able to live in a community group home. Further into the issue of low income, well needing to be able to afford rent on such a budget, persons would also need to afford food, possibly hydro and water, furniture, other esstentials etc. which can be difficult to manage. Accessibility also ties in with these issues, and makes it difficult to find a suitable living area. For example a majority of persons with a mental disability have been deamed unsuitable to operate a motor vehicle, which in turn requires them to live in an area of a community that is close enough to public transportation to be accessed easily. Another example may be if one struggles with stairs, lifting, etc. it can be difficult to find a house or apartment that is suitable a minimizes the risks associated, and it can be even more difficult to find a landlord who is willing to rent to tenanent who poses issues. Finally for those living with a mental disability who are living on their own who struggle with basic life skills such as cooking, cleaning, or basic hygene may need to hire someone to come into their homes to assist them if family or friends are unavailable which can add to their cost of living. This again ties in with the issues of low income. Housing is a basic requirement for good health. Decent, safe and affordable housing contributes to our physical and mental well-being. For people with serious mental illnesses, a safe and affordable home can be a place to live in dignity and move toward recovery (Canadian Mental Health Association).

 

            Throughout the 1970’s housing programs began to arise. New community-oriented residential facilities (CRFs) were developed which, by 1977, housed more than 60,000 mentally retarded people (Sterling & Garrard 1982). These houses are still available in communities today, however updated to fit into today’s society. An example of one would be the Sudbury Developmental Services which has several group homes located all over the city of Greater Sudbury. However as mentioned before even this form of residence is not considered permanent for those who live there. A number of circumstances can mean removal from the group homes all together, or transfer from one home to another. For those who live with a mental disability a change from one home to the next can have serious impacts on their well being. Further more a change in a group home when it pertains to staff changes, changes in routine etc. can also have a severe impact on ones well being. Over time, "good" community places can become "bad," perhaps because of changes in staff commitment, administrative style or support, and day-to-day opportunities (both real and perceived) for engagement with and control over the environment (Landesman & Butterfield 2003). The challenges of finding proper employment still exist while living within these group homes, however I feel that while living in these homes although it is not permanent decreases the worry of things such as low income, basic life skills, accessibility, stigma, etc. Although the stigma still exists outside the home within the community, inside the home they are living with people who will not judge them, and working with staff who are their to help them not judge them. Although living in the group homes is not free, it is less expensive then living on their own because they do not need to worry about food, essentials, high rent, etc. As well with accessibility and basic life skills, these homes are designed to help people with mental disabilities, and majorities are designed with wheel chair accessibility and features to help with any other form of disability. Transportation to and from appointments, events, or work is provided for those who reside in these homes. However these establishments are not perfect either and have issues as well. These issues can be related to staff, or residents who do not get along, residents can be violent at times, 5 people with disabilities all living together can pose a challenge, etc. An example may be one resident having an issue with a routine change, and becoming violent, and yelling. This behavior can upset the other residents and cause the course of their day to be off and causing them to become upset or have behavioral issues as well.

Referances:

http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/policy-human-rights-and-rental-housing

http://www.cgsds.ca/

http://www.cmha.ca/

 

Picture: http://static.ddmcdn.com/gif/make-your-home-handicap-accessible-1a.jpg

Sterling & Garrard. (Nov. 1982). Health Services for Mentally Retarded People in Community Residences:Problems and Questions. In AJPH. Retrieved Nov.14, 2012, from Vol. 72. No. 11 p. 1226-1229.

 

Landesman & Butterfeild. (2003). Normalization and Deinstitutionalizationof Mentally Retarded IndividualsControversy and Facts. In Child Development and Mental Retardation Center,. Retrieved Nov.14, 2012, from Vol. 42, No. 8, 809-816.

Erica

Prevention and Awareness of Mental Health a Liberal Ideology

     Prevention and awareness of mental health can be viewed as stemming from a liberal ideology lens.  This ideology is concerned with the development of individuals as well as all of the Canadian people as a nation (Pearson, 2012).  It is through this concern that communities come together for a cause and speak on an issue, in order to prevent it from occurring.  This ideology believes in the notion that communities need to come together to educate one another, thus contributing to the development of individuals.  There is a belief within this ideology which pushes for men and women to become responsible citizens by creating opportunity (Pearson, 2012).

     In my opinion an article posted by Organville.com supports this ideology.  It is about a community raising awareness about a mental health issue in the town of Orangeville.  The issue revolves around suicide, and how mental illness is a factor.  During the 10^th annual World Suicide Prevention Day, a number of people including the mayor of Orangeville spoke about this topic and ways to prevent suicide from occurring among the youth.   It was also stated that mental illness that is untreated is a major contributing factor to suicide (Tremblay, 2012).  To be more specific, individuals who have depression are at a high risk for committing suicide.  Also one in five children have a mental illness severe enough to impact their daily living (Tremblay, 2012).

     I think that it is important to bring awareness to this topic, because it is becoming an epidemic.  More people are dying from suicide, than from homicide and war (Tremblay, 2012).  This is something that effects society as a whole, and bringing awareness opens the door for citizens to create opportunities to do something to try and help.  It allows for people to educate themselves, and when people are educated change can occur. 

     Suicide is one of those taboo topics being covered up, and no one wants to talk about it.  As mental illness becomes more prevalent suicide will always be an issue.  It is important for communities to come together and work on making it known just how mental illness is a factor in suicide.  In order to try and prevent something from happening sometimes we need to look at the whole picture.  In this instance society needs to be educated more about mental illness, as it is an underlying factor, and suicide occurs all too often.

 

~Alissa B

 

References

Pearson, L.  (2012). On Liberalism.  Retrieved from:                                                                        http://www.canadahistory.com/sections/documents/leaders/Pearson/On%20Liberalism.html

Tremblay, B.  (2012, Sept 12). Raising Awareness of Mental Health (column).  Retrieved from: http://www.orangeville.com/opinion/columns/article/1500988--raising-awareness-of-mental-health-column

Ideologies on Perceiving Mental Illness

According to the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (2012), a mental illness is “a health problem that significantly affects how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with other people. It is diagnosed according to standardised criteria”. I will be discussing the neo-conservative, liberal and social democratic ideologies on perceiving mental illness.

I think a neo-conservative ideology would believe that is it the person’s fault for being affected by mental illness and that they need to fix themself and/or their situation so they can carry on with their life. In the article, ‘Federal budget cuts mean more employees struggling with layoff anxiety’, Curry (2012) talks about the anxiety people have about the federal government making budget cuts and the potential layoff with their jobs. Neo-conservatives would think that people shouldn’t have anxiety about layoffs because if they were to lose their job they could just go out and find another one. It would be perceived that it is not the responsibility of the government to assist the people being affected and provide social services or other programs to help their through their difficult times, but rather a problem that the person must just deal with. 

In the article, ‘Mental illness impact said to be bigger than cancer’, I read a point that made me instantly think of a liberal ideology. Ratnasingham (2012) writes "People can often dismiss mental illnesses as, 'Oh, that person is just feeling a little blue,'". I think that anyone who follows a liberal ideology would think similar to this because they wouldn’t consider outside factors as to why someone would have a mental illness, such as unfortunate or traumatic life experiences, the state of the economy, age, physical injury, and/or medical reasoning, etc.  There is a tendency to minimize what the person is feeling rather than acknowledge that it is something more serious and needs to be explored thoroughly to address it properly.

Another point that was made in the article ‘Mental illness impact said to be bigger than cancer’ made me think of the social democratic ideology on mental illness. Ratnasingham (2012) says "If we are able to help people when they do have the early onset, we could prevent a lot of this burden". Social democratic ideologies focus on the well-being of the people and work to find solutions to problems. Rather than blaming the individual, there is an effort to look for ways to prevent or help the individuals when symptoms or situations first arise. There would be a commitment to provide social programs and/or counseling to support those in need.

In conclusion, the three ideologies on mental illness differ significantly from one another. Neo-conservative often blame the people for being the way they are, liberal do not consider outside factors that might contribute to the mental illness and the social democratic focus on the well-being of the people and try to find solutions. 

Kristen  

References

Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health. (2012). What is mental illness. Retrieved November, 10, 2012 from http://camimh.ca/

Curry, B. (2012, September 21). Federal budget cuts mean more employees struggling with layoff anxiety. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/federal-budget-cuts-mean-more-employees-struggling-with-layoff-anxiety/article4561029/

Ratnasingham, S. (2012, October 10). Mental illness impact said to be bigger than cancer. CBC News Canada.  Retrieved November 10, 2012, from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/09/mental-illness.html

Picture retrieved from

http://www.google.ca/imgres?start=174&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1366&bih=589&tbm=isch&tbnid=cKcTNjPUZ1o2HM:&imgrefurl=http://www.shepellfgi.com/understandingmentalillness/&docid=La6BUg4nU1jwgM&imgurl=http://www.shepellfgi.com/understandingmentalillness/images/banner5_en.jpg&w=935&h=266&ei=MLeeUJunCIO42wXS6IHgDw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=853&vpy=152&dur=1729&hovh=120&hovw=421&tx=123&ty=58&sig=107326891021269593138&page=8&tbnh=82&tbnw=250&ndsp=24&ved=1t:429,r:96,s:100,i:292

It's not the individual it's the community

I am choosing to focus on the liberal approach. In addition, how I strongly disagree that Mental Illness is an individual’s problem. Individuals, who are mentally ill, require the support of the community the live in to help them get through hard times in their lives and help them adapt to society with a little more ease.

There is a news article in the Vancouver Sun titled: Panel to give firsthand accounts of living with mental disability, illness at Vancouver conference. This article talks about how group homes are a great place for individuals who are diagnosed, with both a developmental and psychological illness (Ellis, 2012).

Lyle Lexier, Julie Huber and Ed Kaufmann are three individuals who have been dually diagnosed; they are going to be telling social workers, nurses, doctors and other health professionals about their experiences with a dual diagnosis.(Ellis, 2012) One thing that Lyle Lexier will be taking to the conference is “It’s bad to treat disabled individuals as children or criminals”(Ellis,2012).

 I agree with Lyle’s statement individuals who are mentally ill are not always criminals and are not children, a lot of mentally ill individuals are very intelligent. I personally think that by these individuals attending this conference that this shows that mental illness is not an individual’s problem, but a problem for the community as a whole. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that there are the proper resources and support systems for those who are mentally ill to avoid putting them in prison where they will most likely be mistreated, because apparently punishment is a type of treatment in Canadian prisons.(referring to last blog)

Karlie

Bibliography

Ellis, E. (2012, November 13). Panel to give firsthand accounts of living with mental disability, illness at Vancouver conference. Retrieved November 15, 2012, from Vancouver Sun: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Panel+give+firsthand+accounts+living+with+mental+disability+illness+Vancouver+conference/7543789/story.html

Indigenous Communities Living with Mental Health

       

 

          In Canadian history there is a violent history of colonial projects interfering with the indigenous communities within our country. These projects have interfered with the several aboriginal communities in several different ways over the course of centuries, residential schools being a prime example of this (Leeuw et. all 2010). From research I have found that the four main issues surrounding the aboriginal communities include residential schools, suicide or mental health, abuse, and substance abuse. In this entry I have chosen to focus on the mental health aspect.

            The interference of colonial projects throughout history has been linked with the elevated rates of addiction, as well as mental health issues among the aboriginal population throughout Canada (Leeuw et. all. 2010). These issues are becoming a growing concern amongst these communities as addiction, mental health, and suicide rates are rising. Many of Canada’s indigenous population are alarmingly in this day and age still living in what we generally refer to as third world conditions. Some also refer to this as ‘third world conditions of health’ or ‘embodiment of inequality’ (Adelson 2005). The conditions that these aboriginals are living in cause higher rates of infectious diseases, chronic diseases, as well as death at younger ages than those rates of the non-aboriginal population. When the issues are examined further it has been noted that aboriginal peoples whom live on reserves opposed to off reserves also experience lower education, high unemployment rates, and lower levels of income all of which can be linked to factors contributing to poor mental health states, as well as higher rater of mental health due to illness (Leeuw et. all. 2010).

            In the early 2000’s a regional health survey was done with results showing that aboriginal people who lived off reserve compared to non-aboriginals also living off reserves who are aged 15 and over were twice as likely to suffer from a major depressive episode over the span of 12months. Aboriginal females showed a rating of 37.1% while aboriginal males showed 18.1% (NAHO 2002), the results of non-aboriginals was not listed. As well studies have shown that a majority of the indigenous population who attend one of the several residential schools in Canada suffered from a mental health disorder which was directly related to the time they spent within the schools (Corrado, and Cohen 2003). The main mental health disorders that were found amongst this population include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depression, and Substance Abuse.

            It is widely believed that the appropriate way to approach the issue of mental health disorders amongst the indigenous communities across Canada is to use a holistic approach from a social determinants perspective. It is agreeable that this approach is beneficial due to the given history of colonial projects. The indigenous community has suffered great loss in terms of their traditions, and culture through projects like the residential schools. Only by looking at the ways society and social factors have impacted these communities will one be able to openly begin to understand and find ways to help the healing process.

Referances:

Leeuw, Greenwood, Cameron. (April 2009). Mental Health Addictions . In Deviant Constructions: How Governments Preserve Colonial Narratives of Addictions and Poor Mental Health to Intervene into the lives of Indigenous Children and Families in Canada. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2012, from 8:282-295.

Mussel, Cardiff, White. (2004). Children's Mental Health Policy Research Program. In The Mental Health and Well-Being of Aboriginal Children and Youth: Guidance for New Approaches and Services. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2012, from 1:9: p. 1-48.

Picture: http://jadedalt.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/mental_health_awareness_ribbon_postcard-p239140026495883302qibm_4001.jpg

Erica

Employment and Mental Illness: A neoconservative and neoliberal lens

Employment for people who are living with a mental illness is an ongoing challenge in our society today. Some of the challenges that face people with a disability are gaps in employment, limited work experience, workplace discrimination and inflexibility, and social stigma. (Canadian Mental Health Association , 2012)

Employment for all people in society is important; one of the social determinants of health is employment. There are many people who have mental illness who work every day and provide affective and invaluable support to their workplaces. ( Canadian Mental Health Association , 2007) Even with this fact the unemployment rate for those who have mental illness is 70% – 90%, and this is continually detrimental to the health and wellbeing of these people because it is known that one of the keys to good mental health and wellbeing is being an active member of their community. (Canadian Mental Health Association , 2012)

A basic human right for every citizen in Canada is the access to employment, and those who do suffer from mental illnesses have the right to have equal consideration for employment. (Canadian Mental Health Association , 2012) According to the law every employer has the “duty to accommodate”, therefore it is the workplaces responsibility placed by government to meet the needs of all employees including those with mental illnesses as well as promote mental health to all other employees. ( Canadian Mental Health Association , 2007)

The neoliberal and neoconservative ideological approach values individual freedom and that each person knows what is best for them, but within this it may lead to inequality but that is necessary aspect of society. (Hick, 2007) The government’s role should be limited and that private ownership is key. (Hick, 2007)

In an article from CBC, “Mental Illness Common in the Work Place”, they stated that after research was conducted about mental health in the work place that just less than 50 percent of Canadians says they have has or dealt with mental health programs. (CBC News, 2011) The articles reports that also even though companies and manager have stated they feel like they provide a safe and open environment for those who are suffering from mental health concerns, but in the surveys many employees did not feel this way. (CBC News, 2011) Because of the idea behind neoliberal and neoconservative ideology of private ownership and free market, and benefits of capitalism, when you look at the unemployment statistics that nearly five hundred thousand people are not working because of mental illness it costs the Canadian economy $51 billion a year. (CBC News, 2011) This could be from unemployment insurance, health benefits etc.

Through the neoconservative and neoliberal lens this cost should not be the responsibility of the government. It is believed through this ideology that social welfare interferes with labor market and creates dependency on the government. (Hick, 2007) When looking at the issue of employment and those who have mental health concerns this ideology believes that it should be the responsibility of the owners to take care of the welfare of those who need assistance. (Hick, 2007)

- Amanda

References:

Canadian Mental Health Association . (2007). Work. Retrieved October 31, 2012, from Canadian Mental Health Association : Ontario : http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/

Canadian Mental Health Association . (2012). Employment. Retrieved October 31, 2012, from Canadian Mental Health Association : http://www.cmha.ca/mental-health/find-help/employment/

CBC News. (2011, June 11). CBC News: Health . Retrieved October 31, 2012, from CBC : http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2011/06/20/mental-health-workplace.html

Hick, S. (2007). Social Welfare in Canada: Understanding Income Security, Second Edition . Canada: Thompson Educational Publishing.

 

Social Policy Related to Workplace Depression in Workers

A recent article on cbc.ca titled “Employers alone can’t fix workplace depression”, discusses the issue of depression in employees working in Canada as a result of increasingly stressful work environments and demands on their labour.¹ The article criticizes employers for not paying enough attention to their worker’s mental and emotional needs and putting the profit and success of their companies before the well-being of those who work for them.² For example, Steve Horvath, President and CEO of the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety states:

"It’s a difficult challenge for employers because, ultimately, they're going to have to address the issues of their own organization's culture.”

I think this quote highlights the current view of social policy that employers use in the workplace when dealing with depression in their employees or other forms of mental illness that may arise as a result of a stressful work environment. In our capitalist society there is a strong emphasis on economic gain for businesses at any cost. This need for constant gain of profit and advancing in the market creates many demands on workers that may be unrealistic for them to complete in a business day. It seems as though many CEO’s of companies have to turn a blind-eye to employee mental health because they are too pre-occupied with corporate gain.

This article also argues that it is the responsibility of the worker to take care of their own mental health needs individually as well.³ I do agree this is true but I think it also highlights our countries current neo-conservative ideology, which is very individualistic with a focus on profit and freedom to earn as much as a company possibly can. I think in order for employees to acquire better mental well-being in the workplace employers need to take a step back and acknowledge the importance of mental health for their workers and take less of an aggressive approach to corporate profit and gain.

-Maggie Turpin

^1,2,3: Mayer, Andre. "Employers Alone Can't Fix Workplace Depression." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 11 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/09/f-workplace-depression.html>.

Social Control and Mental Illness

     Through a social democratic lens, control issues are explored pertaining to individuals with a mental illness.  This ideological view values social justice, which means that much value is placed on the well-being of citizens (Hick, 2007).  This view also holds social equality as a key value as well as fellowship and cooperation (Hick, 2007).  When looking at mental illness, individuals often fall into problems which call on the need for social control, to protect them and other citizens of society.

     In our society today there are numerous social policies surrounding the area of mental health.  In particular many of these policies pertain to the criminal justice system, and people with mental illness seemingly fall into this system.  In this present day deinstitutionalization has caused an increase of individuals with severe mental illness to be rehabilitated within the community (Lamb, Weinberger, Decuir, 2002).  For this reason any issues that arise pertaining to the safety and welfare of a community often fall into police officers hands.  As the law states, police officers are dictated to protect individuals with a disability who cannot care for themselves (Lamb et al, 2002).  It can be said that police officers are the front line workers when it comes to individuals experiencing a severe mental health crisis; they are placed with the responsibility of  determining if these individuals should be linked appropriate resources or detained for their safety as well as societies.

     There is an article available online through the CBC news website.  The name of the article is Mental Health Calls Tap Police Resources: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/07/30/sby-police-mental-health-help.htm

      This article identifies that the Sudbury Police Department are dealing with numerous calls involving individuals with a mental health crisis.  It is of the norm for the department to receive up to two calls a day pertaining to this issue.  This is becoming a problem for society as a whole because it is tying up resources.  When citizens need the assistance of police, officers are being held up in waiting rooms for hours dealing with mental health patients.  When officers are tied up in waiting rooms they are unable to meet the needs of society.  The identification of this issue has led to an increase in mobile crisis response workers who can work along with the police and assist them in triaging individuals, and linking them to other resources thus freeing up the police.

     When looking at this article with a social democratic lens, it really hits upon the values they see as important for a society.   Policing is a measure of social control, thus creating a safe environment which is a needed to ensure the well-being and safety of all individuals in a society.  Furthermore, individuals with a mental illness experiencing a crisis are extremely vulnerable and are in need of a system that will protect their well-being when they no longer can.  The Sudbury police department recognizes the needs of these people, thus they are incoporating more mobile crisis response workers to help out.  The increase of individuals living in communities with a mental illness has placed much stress on the police departments.  It is through this lens that it could be said society has an equal right to safety, and with the police officers resources being spread thin, an imbalance occurs.  I think that the recognition of this problem as stated in the above article falls under the social democratic ideology because it addresses the need for cooperation among other professionals. It introduces the idea of a multidisciplinary team which will be beneficial in helping meet the needs of these individuals.  I think that the introduction of more mobile crisis response workers will benefit society as a whole, as it restores the balance of social control and social justice.  Thus creating a society where the well-being and equality of its citizens is valued.

~ Alissa B

References

CBC News. (2012, July 30).  Mental Health Calls Tap Police Resources.  Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/story/2012/07/30/sby-police-mental-health-help.htm

Hick, S.  (2007).  Social Welfare in Canada: Understanding Income Security (2^nd ed.).  Toronto ON: Thompson Educational Publishing, Inc.

Lamb, R. Weinberger, L. & Decuir, W.  (2002).  The Police and Mental Health.  Psychiatric Services.  53 (10).  doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.53.10.1266

Rising Concern for Inmates with Mental Illnesses

     Mental health issues surround us on a daily basis and are more common than most people perceive them to be. Suicide seems to be a common thing in society, I think that depression, and some other types of mood disorders usually cause it. According to Stats Canada 60% of suicides are due to major depression.(Navaneelan,2012) There are several factors to take into consideration when it comes to suicide, such as age, gender and mental illness. “Studies indicate that more than 90 percent of suicide victims have a diagnosable psychiatric illness” (Canadian Mental Health Association, March 2006). However, statistics differ when it comes to specific groups of people, “For example the suicide rate for Inuit peoples living in northern Canada is between 60 and 75 for every 100,000  people.”(Canadian Mental Health Association, March 2006). Gender also plays a significant role in suicide statistics, “while men commit suicide 4 times more than woman, woman make 3-4 more attempts at committing suicide than men do.”(Canadian Mental Health Association, March 2006). 

    Now what happens when you consider all those different situations and put them into a prison?  You get prison guards that treat people living with a mental illness as a security issue instead of treating their mental illness first. (Tonda MacCharles, 2012). You get mentally ill individuals hurting themselves more and more to the point where they commit suicide.(Tonda MacCharles, 2012) “Canada’s Prison system has adopted the wrong approach to mentally ill inmates: it has built its first padded federal cell”(Tonda MacCharles,2012). Therefore, it seems to me that the guards working in the federal Regional Psychiatric Center in Saskatoon are uneducated and instead of receiving the proper education to treat mentally ill patients, they put them into a padded cell where they are supposed to be safe. “if you put someone in a padded cell they will find a way to do themselves harm says Sapers”(Tonday MacCharles,2012). So my question is why would you put someone into a padded cell if you know that they are still going to hurt themselves, why not find out what is causing them to harm themselves and work on a way to fix it, it’s not like mentally ill individuals want to be mentally ill, but that’s just my opinion.

    In the article “Mental Health: Combating Negative Thoughts”” they talk about a new program called “Living Life to the Full” a course that has eight little books designed for 1.5-hour sessions. It is supposed to allow people experiencing depression or anxiety face and overcome the problems they are facing” (Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna, 2012). The Canadian Mental Health Association: British Columbia branch has adapted to “Living Life to the Full” so why can’t every province in Canada take the same approach and not only use it in prisons but outside prisons as well. I truly think that a program like this would be a great help to not only the inmates in prison but to the guards as well. I feel like there would be a little less tension between the inmates and the guards. In addition, the guards might actually be able to treat the inmates as humans not as a security concern, because I mean after all they do have feeling and emotions and the way the guards treat them could have an effect on their mental illness.

    Now to bring in the ideologies, I have specifically chosen to focus on one in particular that one being the neoconservative/ neo-liberal ideology. The neoconservative ideology states “they value freedom, inequality and individualism”.(Hick,2007) I entirely disagree with this without equality individuals will not receive the treatment needed this is shown in the article “Mental Health Problems Treated as a Security issue”. The guards treat inmates as a security concern instead of human beings. It also states, “Social welfare is limited to the very needy”. However, who are they to determine who they very needy are and what classifies them to be very needy. I personally think that every individual in society is going to need some sort of support from the government in some way so who are they to determine who gets it. I feel that by saying only the very needy get the help of social welfare that the neoconservatives are targeting what might be considered the less fortunate people in society.

    Overall, I think there is a lot the government of Canada needs to take into consideration there are inmates suffering in prison with no help and are being punished by guards that do not understand them. There are individuals in our society that have a mental illness but might not be able to access the necessary form of treatment because it is unavailable to them. I think society and the government needs to do their part in providing the necessary services required for individuals living with a mental illness.

References

MacCharles, T. (2012, October 23). Mental Health Problems Treated as a Security Issue in Federal Prisons. Retrieved November 1, 2012, from TheStar.com: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1276250--mental-health-problems-treated-as-security-issue-in-federal-prisons-report-says
Makin, K. (2011, January 21). Why Canada's prisons can't cope with flood of mentally ill inmates. Retrieved December 14, 2012, from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/why-canadas-prisons-cant-cope-with-flood-of-mentally-ill-inmates/article563604/?page=all

News, K. C. (2012, October 2011). Mental Health: Combating Negative Thoughts. Retrieved November 1, 2012, from Canadian Mental Health Association: http://kelowna.cmha.bc.ca/get-informed/e-news/article-121011-capital-news-article-mental-health-combatting-negative-thoughts-0

Suicide Statistics. (2006, March). Retrieved November 1, 2012, from Canadian Mental Health Association: http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/fact_sheets.asp?cID=3965\
Suicide Rates. (2012, July). Retrieved December 14, 2012, from Statistics Canada
            http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-624-x/2012001/article/11696-eng.htm

~Karlie

Ideologies on Mental Illness

Mental health problems are treated differently in specific situations and for the purpose of this discussion, I will be addressing the increasing rate of self-harm in prisons and the different views expressed by Conservative, Liberal and NDP members of parliament (MPs). Self-harm is purposely inflicting damage to skin, which is non-fatal without attempting suicide (Gratz, 2003). “Individuals at risk for self-harm often report experiencing chronic emptiness, alienation, and isolation in combination with intense, overwhelming negative emotions” (Gratz, 2003, p.192). After reading the article ‘Prisoner self-harm rate rising’, I found it interesting to learn about the different perspectives from each of the political parties. In the article, Hume (2012), talks about the three political parties and their thoughts on this controversial topic.

Hume (2012), says that the conservative MP regards rehabilitation as a key part in the process of dealing with mental health, however a prison's purpose is not focused on that but rather is a place that is not supposed to welcoming. I feel that the conservative MP is on the right track with this idea because if rehabilitation was a stronger part of the prison system and focused more on getting the prisoner well again rather than looking at making it as negative experience so that the offender would less likely to offend again, then I think that rates of self-harm would most likely be on the decrease rather than rising. If some of the issues were being looked into further and dealt with by health care and counseling professionals, then prisoners would get the help they need.

            The Liberal MP expressed concerns for the rise of self-harm and that it is more to do with the government and their required minimum sentences (Hume, 2012). This may be the cause but if a crime is committed then I believe that they should be responsible for their actions. However, I believe that with proper mental health services, the prisoner may not self-harm because of the services, counselors or medications available to the inmates. 

Lastly, the NDP MP talks about how “the Conservatives’ tough on crime agenda is compromising public safety” (Hume, 2012, para. 10).  Personally, I don’t think the issue regarding self-harm was really of concern in this statement. The public’s safety is being assured if people who committed crimes are being put behind bars. The purpose of this article wasn’t to say don’t put people who have broken the law and have mental health issues in jail but rather look at the increase in self-harm and why there is the increase.

In conclusion self-harm can include a large range of non-fatal behaviours that is demonstrated by an individual. All three of the MP’s have different perspectives on the topic of increased self-harm in prisoners. For me personally I think the health and well-being of the prisoner should be a concern and deserves the right treatment regardless of being in jail. I do believe that they should be held responsible and do the time for the crime committed but also are entitled to receive treatment for their mental health issue as well.

Kristen



References

Gratz, K. (2003, June). Risk factors for and functions of deliberate self-harm: An empirical and conceptual review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10 (2), 192-205.

Hume, J. (2012, October 23). Prisoner self-harm rate rising. The Toronto Sun. Retrieved from http://www.torontosun.com/2012/10/23/prisoner-self-harm-rate-rising.

Picture retrieved from http://thelegacybuilder.wordpress.com/2011/07/27/the-prison-of-our-past/