B.C. family who lost brother challenges hospital procedures for discharging patients under Mental Health Act – CBC News [2023-05-08]

2023-05-082023-05-08 — Mental Health — 1 min read

James Zimmer will always be remembered as a kind-hearted carpenter who dreamt of supporting people like himself who were struggling with mental illness, his family says.

“He wanted to start out with being a peer supporter,” said sister Cindy Zimmer.

But the dream never came to fruition. On Feb. 9, James, 50, took his own life after being discharged from Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, his family unaware of his whereabouts.

The family is the latest in B.C. to protest hospitals’ lack of compliance with the part of the Mental Health Act that requires loved ones to be notified of a patient’s admission or discharge from hospitals — something advocates claim health facilities often fail to do.

Read more here:

CBC News
May 8, 2023

A care revolution: Inside Canada’s first dementia village – Global News [2023-05-06]

2023-05-072023-05-07 — Mental Health — 2 min read

In Langley, British Columbia, there’s a village that may remind you of your own: you can go for a stroll, pick up a couple of items from the grocery store or even pop by the salon. But, this particular community was purposefully built to allow for freedom and quality of life. Because every resident in this village has something in common: they’re all living with dementia.

Alan Meggy, 75, has lived at the Village Langley since August 2021. Before moving in, Alan was an avid traveller and adventurer who climbed some of the highest peaks in the world, including in Peru, Nepal and Tanzania. He also raced cars.

“Alan has the most adventurous life of anybody I know,” said his friend of over 20 years, Carole Chesham. “He has climbed several very difficult mountains. … He’s cycled all over, fully loaded. That means with tents, sleeping bags, stove, food, everything.”

Meggy was even living on a boat he called the “Pirasea” until it became too difficult for him.

“He couldn’t remember how to work the washing machine. It was just little things that he’d never had trouble with before that became a problem,” Chesham said.

By coincidence, at the same time, Chesham read about the Village Langley, Canada’s very first dementia village — and the assisted living care community was having an open house. She says she remembers being impressed by her visit and asked Meggy and his sister-in-law if they wanted to take a look at The Village as well, so they did. Then, Meggy put down a deposit.

Read more here:

Global News
May 6, 2023

Resident dog Scout helps heal patients and staff at Hamilton mental health hospital – CBC News [2023-05-07]

2023-05-072023-05-07 — Mental Health — 1 min read

Six months on the job and the “bestest boy” at St. Joseph’s hospital is already unleashing a sense of hope and inspiration among patients and staff.

His name is Scout — a gentle 125-pound Leonberger who spends his weekdays visiting about 30 forensic unit patients at the St. Joe’s West 5th campus, which offers mental health and addictions services.

Scout is the first resident therapy dog at any hospital in the country, to his coworkers’ knowledge, and a long overdue addition to the team, said Dr. Glen Chaimowitz, Scout’s boss and head of forensic psychiatry. It’s also a first for a forensic unit.

“Many of our patients are here for an extended amount of time and they’ve lost contact with people who are meaningful in their lives,” Chaimowitz said.

“Bringing somebody as warm and enduring and inspiring as our staff member Scout is just an absolute asset for us.”

Read more here:

CBC News
May 7, 2023

The number of medically-assisted deaths in Canada’s prisons a concern for some experts – CTV News [2023-05-03]

2023-05-032023-05-03 — Corrections, Mental Health — 1 min read

Canada has performed nine medically-assisted deaths among prisoners in the last seven years, more than any other country which tracks and records such data.

The number of federal prisoners requesting medically-assisted death (MAID) in Canada has also increased, with 27 asking for permission to die between June 2016, when the legislation came into effect, and March 31 this year, according to information provided by Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) following an Access to Information Act request.

Only three other countries — Switzerland, Belgium, and Spain — have publicly acknowledged one euthanasia death each for a prisoner. Two of them were performed in February this year, the other in 2022.

Jessica Shaw, an associate professor of social work at the University of Calgary who has been studying assisted death in prisons and submitted the access to information request, said she is worried about the lack of transparency in reporting cases and how decisions are made.

Read more here:

CTV News
May 3, 2023

Loneliness is the new silent killer, and as deadly as smoking: US surgeon-general – Global News [2023-05-02]

2023-05-022023-05-02 — Mental Health — 1 min read

Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the U.S. surgeon general said Tuesday in declaring the latest public health epidemic.

About half of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a report from his office.

“We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing,” Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. “Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that’s not right. That’s why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing.”

The declaration is intended to raise awareness around loneliness but won’t unlock federal funding or programming devoted to combatting the issue.

Read more here:

Global News
May 2, 2023

How to Stop Being Lonely, According to the Surgeon General – Lifehacker [2023-05-02]

2023-05-022023-05-02 — Mental Health — 2 min read

The Surgeon General of the United States is sounding the alarm about the growing epidemic of loneliness in this country. Vivek Hallegere Murthy’s just released public health advisory compiles a ton of research that indicates that social isolation is more than a philosophical problem; it has tangible, measurable effects on both mental and physical health, and it’s deadly.

According to the report, loneliness leads to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The effect of isolation on mortality is similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and it’s actually worse for your health than being obese or physically inactive. In other words, if you want to be a fat smoker, you’d better have a ton of friends.

Not only is friendlessness leading to adverse health condition, it’s turning us into loners and weirdoes. Social connection is a basic human need, and as we eschew it in favor of Instagram and Candy Crush, our trust in institutions and one another decreases, leading to further polarization and discontent.

Overall, this is not a cheery report, but it lays out a bulletproof case that we should be taking this issue more seriously and taking steps as a society to stem the damage that’s been done. While an individual can’t do much about broad historical and cultural trend, you can take action to combat loneliness in your own life and the lives of those around you.

Read more here:

Lifehacker
May 2, 2023

Why mass shooting inquiry said Canada should look to Finland for its policing model – CBC News [2023-05-02]

2023-05-022023-05-02 — Police — 1 min read

The inquiry into one of the worst mass shootings in modern Canadian history says police training across Canada needs to be overhauled, and points to Finland as a potential model.

The Mass Casualty Commission, the inquiry that investigated a 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia that left 22 dead, recommended the overhaul in its final report released in March.

It suggested all of Canada’s police forces — not just the RCMP — look to Finland, which requires a three-year degree for police officers.

Under the current RCMP model, recruits spend six months at Depot, the force’s training facility in Saskatchewan. That is followed by six months of on-the-job training.

The commission’s report called this model “inadequate to prepare RCMP members for the complex demands of contemporary policing.”

It also said the RCMP’s operational effectiveness has been impaired by its “failure to embrace a research-based approach to program development and police education and its lack of openness to independent research.”

Read more here:

CBC News
May 2, 2023

Most Canadians want universal mental health care. What would that look like? – Global News [2023-05-01]

2023-05-012023-05-01 — Mental Health — 1 min read

As Canada continues to grapple with a mental health issue exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a new poll shows that a vast majority of Canadians want the government to provide universal access to systems such as therapy, medication and support groups.

The survey released Monday by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) based on an online survey of 1,626 adult Canadians conducted between April 6 and April 10, found that 87 per cent of Canadians want universal mental health care and 69 per cent believe the country is in a mental health crisis.

“If you break your leg, you know that you can go anywhere in the country and you’re going to get the same level of treatment and care. But we can’t say that about mental health,” Margaret Eaton, national CEO for the CMHA told Global News.

The idea of universal mental health care is that services are funded through public health insurance and are free to all Canadians, Eaton said.

Read more here:

Global News
May 1, 2023

Ontario introducing mental health education for students – CBC News [2023-05-01]

2023-05-01 — Mental Health — 1 min read

The Ontario government announced Monday it will introduce a new mandatory education curriculum for elementary and high school students that aims to increase mental health literacy, in the wake of continued challenges that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new curriculum will be introduced for the next school year, and will involve updates to the career studies course that is required for Grade 10 students, as well as mandatory resources for teachers and students on mental health literacy for Grades 7 and 8.

The program was ushered in due to the advocacy of Progressive Conservative MPP Natalie Pierre, who put forward a motion in December around mental health literacy.

At the news conference Monday, she said that her 17-year-old son dying by suicide six years ago is what propelled her to pursue the initiative.

Read more here:

CBC News
May 1, 2023

New London police chief named, first with a racially diverse background – Global News [2023-05-01]

2023-05-012023-05-01 — Police — 1 min read

For the first time in the city’s history, the next police chief will come from a racially diverse background.

Thai Truong was introduced Monday morning at London police headquarters as the next chief of police for the city. He is set to assume the position officially on June 1.

Speaking at his introduction, Truong says a key goal while in the position is to make London a safer city.

“The vision that I have right now encompasses community safety,” said Truong. “That is what we signed up for when we become police officers.”

Truong, whose selection as police chief was finalized on Friday, said that during the interview process, he took the opportunity to walk the streets of London a few times to get a feel for the city.

Read more here:

Global News
May 1, 2023

Southern Manitoba libraries battle defunding attempts over sex-ed content in children’s books – CBC News [2023-05-01]

2023-05-012023-05-01 — Uncategorized — 1 min read

It’s been a long year at the South Central Regional Library.

A push that began last summer to remove a few children’s sexual education books from the southern Manitoba library system has since bubbled up into accusations its staff are pedophiles, as well as a campaign to defund the library — leaving some of its exhausted librarians considering quitting, the library’s director says.

“The far-reaching effects [are] not that visible to the public — you know, we still function and we still open doors,” said Cathy Ching, who heads South Central Regional Library — a network of five libraries in southern Manitoba communities.

“My staff are tired, my council members are tired. Staff sometimes don’t know who’s going to walk in the door and give them a hard time.”

Last fall, the library ruled it would not pull three kids’ books from its shelves following complaints they were explicit and encouraged children to engage in sexual activity.

Read more here:

CBC News
May 1, 2023

Study sheds light on features of psychopathy related to treatment engagement among incarcerated youths – PsyPost [2023-04-26]

2023-04-262023-04-26 — Mental Health, Youth — 1 min read

The criminal justice system has been under critique in recent years for prioritizing punishment over treatment, but how can we be confident in who is open to benefiting from treatment? A study published in Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology explores how psychopathy traits may be related to treatment engagement for adolescents.

Adolescents who are involved in the criminal justice system due to antisocial behavior are often encouraged or mandated to have mental health treatment. This could potentially be very beneficial and could even prevent future antisocial behavior in adulthood. A key component of treatment planning is knowing who is open to engaging in treatment in order for it to have the desired effects.

Being engaged in treatment is more than just attending sessions and can be characterized by having a commitment to change and taking an active role in healing. Psychopathy is a trait that has a complicated relationship with treatment engagement, with the body of literature not drawing a firm conclusion as of now. This new study seeks to understand the specific aspects of psychopathy associated with treatment engagement for adolescents.

Read more here:

PsyPost
April 26, 2023

Violence in libraries is on the rise across Canada. How London, Ont. is responding – Global News [2023-04-25]

2023-04-252023-04-25 — Mental Health — 1 min read

As libraries across Canada see an uptick in violence, the London Public Library is taking a compassion-first approach through a dedicated social worker for the downtown branch.

The random acts of violence happening on our streets and in our transit systems in cities across Canada are also making their way into public libraries, with branches of all sizes reporting a rise in verbal and physical violence, Global News’ The New Reality reported earlier this week.

In London, a social worker has been brought in full-time at the LPL’s Central branch in the city’s core. When Elizabeth Sutter began working at the library in 2021, community wellness workers were scheduled at the library on a weekly basis. As of June 2022, a social worker has been working full-time.

Sutter, manager of customer services and branch operations, said since a social worker began full-time in June 2022, she has “definitely” seen an impact.

Read more here:

Global News
April 25, 2023

Mattel debuts first Barbie with Down syndrome – CBC News [2023-04-25]

2023-04-252023-04-25 — Developmental Disabilities — 1 min read

Toy maker Mattel has introduced its first Barbie with Down syndrome in a bid to make its famous doll range more inclusive.

In a statement on Tuesday, Mattel said it had worked with the National Down Syndrome Society in the United States to make the doll, which has a shorter frame and longer torso than its other Barbies.

The new doll’s face also has a rounder shape, and has almond-shaped eyes, smaller ears and a flat nasal bridge, Mattel said.

Read more here:

CBC News
April 25, 2023

Ontario to pay $33M in proposed settlement for class actions over London jail conditions – Global News [2023-04-25]

2023-04-252023-04-25 — Corrections — 1 min read

A proposed settlement has been reached in two class action lawsuits against the province over conditions at London’s Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre, and allegations that thousands of inmates were deprived of their Charter rights while at the troubled provincial jail.

Under the proposed settlement, still subject to approval by a judge, the province will pay nearly $32.8 million to class members detained at the jail during a period of nearly 12 years — between Jan. 1, 2020 and Nov. 10, 2021 — including those held pending trial or other court appearances.

The actions alleged that conditions at the jail, located along Exeter Road in south London, were overcrowded, unsanitary, dangerous and violent, according to a notice of proposed settlement being distributed to class members.

In addition, the class actions alleged that the province was “systemically negligent and deprived Class Members of their rights” guaranteed under section 7 and section 12 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in its operation and management of the jail, the notice says.

Read more here:

Global News
April 25, 2023

Mental-health services come too late, experts say, after uptick in violence – CTV News [2023-04-25]

2023-04-252023-04-25 — Mental Health, Police — 1 min read

Recent cases of violence across Canada demonstrate a clear need to treat mental illness early instead of waiting until a serious crime happens, says an executive with the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Jonny Morris, the CEO of the B.C. division of the association, said the emphasis now is on people having to reach a particular point in their illness before receiving treatment.

“We want to be able to intervene early and actually prevent crisis — including a crisis where violence is present — from ever happening in the first place.”

His comments come after apparent random violence in Ontario, B.C. and Alberta, including stabbing deaths.

Read more here:

CTV News
April 25, 2023

Ontario scrapping post-secondary education requirement for police recruits – CBC News [2023-04-25]

2023-04-252023-04-25 — Police — 1 min read

The Ontario government says it will eliminate a post-secondary education requirement to become a police officer in the province, as part of a bid to increase police recruitment numbers.

Premier Doug Ford made the announcement Tuesday at a news conference alongside Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.

“We need more police officers on our streets, more boots on the ground, as we say,” Ford said.

Read more here:

CBC News
April 25, 2023

A closer look at Joan’s Place: London’s new home for vulnerable youth – Blackburn News [2023-04-23]

2023-04-242023-04-24 — Housing, Youth — 1 min read

By the end of next year, a new seven-storey building near the downtown core will be home to dozens of London youth who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

With the rising cost of living, more and more individuals and families are struggling to stay afloat.

“The demand for housing has just grown so tremendously in our community, unfortunately,” said Steve Cordes, CEO of Youth Opportunities Unlimited (YOU). “There’s people experiencing homelessness that live in encampments, or that live in unsafe situations that we don’t see. Maybe they’re couch surfing, maybe they’re crashing with friends, maybe they’re compromising their own personal safety by staying in places that are just not safe – but, it’s a roof. There’s so much visible and invisible homelessness in this community and it’s gotten worse.”

Read more here:

Blackburn News
April 23, 2023

Trans Twitch star files human rights complaint against police after swatting arrest in London, Ont. – CBC News [2023-04-24]

2023-04-242023-04-24 — 2SLGBTQ+, Police — 1 min read

A transgender activist arrested at gunpoint in her London, Ont. home in a swatting hoax has launched a human rights complaint against the local police for discriminating against her based on her gender identity and expression.

Clara Sorrenti is asking the London Police Service (LPS) to change its record management, procedures, and policies to accommodate transgender people, including wearing body cameras when interacting with them. She also wants mandatory human rights training for every officer that emphasises interacting with trans people.

“LPS hasn’t done nearly enough to start addressing the systemic issues that led to the encounter last year that left me in significant emotional and mental distress,” Sorrenti said.

In a statement of claim filed to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on April 10, Sorrenti is seeking $75,000 in damages for injury to her dignity, feelings, and self respect, plus an additional $50,000 for loss of income and other special damages incurred as a result of the swatting incident.

London police declined Sunday to comment on the matter.

Read more here:

CBC News
April 24, 2023

London and Middlesex Community Housing rep quits over cockroach issues – CBC News [2023-04-24]

2023-04-242023-04-24 — Housing — 1 min read

A tenant representative on the London and Middlesex Community Housing (LMCH) board has quit, saying not enough is being done to deal with bed bug and cockroach problems in the building where she lives.

Tammy Brooks, 43, has lived at 304 Oxford St. for seven years and served as a tenant representative on LMCH’s board for two years.

This week she submitted her resignation, saying the board needs to develop a more coordinated, pro-active approach to bug spraying in the 32 properties they manage.

“I think they need to go floor-by-floor and unit-by-unit,” said Brooks, whose apartment received an initial spraying last week. “But if they don’t treat the other units, it’s just going to keep continuing to come back. They need to inspect units, they need to do assessments.”

Read more here:

CBC News
April 24, 2023

More mental health resources needed in remote First Nations, jury hears during Moses Beaver inquest – CBC News [2023-04-24]

2023-04-242023-04-24 — Indigenous, Police — 1 min read

Calls to improve mental health care resources in remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario continue to be at the forefront of the inquest into the death of Moses Amik Beaver.

The 56-year-old Woodlands artist from Nibinamik, an Oji-Cree First Nation, died in Thunder Bay, Ont. in February 2017 after he was found unresponsive in his cell in the Thunder Bay District Jail.

It remains unclear exactly how Beaver died; the jury is expected to hear more on Beaver’s official cause of death in the coming weeks.

More than six years later, an inquest into his death – which is mandatory under the Ontario Coroner’s Act when a person dies in custody – has started putting together the pieces of how and why Beaver came to his death.

The jury consists of one white man, three white women and one Indigenous woman.

Beaver is one of 13 people who have died in the Thunder Bay District Jail since 2002. His inquest comes on the heels of an inquest completed in November into the deaths of Don Mamakwa of Kasabonika Lake and Roland McKay of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug.

Read more here:

CBC News
April 24, 2023

Tim Hicks – What a Song Should Do

2023-04-242023-04-24 — Music — 1 min read

Doxxed Twitch streamer, trans activist files human rights complaint against London, Ont. police – Global News [2023-04-23]

2023-04-232023-04-23 — 2SLGBTQ+, Police — 1 min read

A popular Twitch streamer and transgender activist has filed a human rights complaint against London, Ont., police, months after a swatting incident.

On Aug. 5, 2022, Clara Sorrenti, known as Keffals on Twitch, was at the centre of a swatting attack after being doxxed by harassers who sent false death threats with her name and address to London city councillors, leading to her being arrested at gunpoint.

Swatting refers to a false report made to police that intends to lure a large number of officers to a particular location, often with the intention of targeting specific individuals.

A statement by Sorrenti’s lawyer Justin W. Anisman states she has filed a human rights application against the London Police Services (LPS) and the London Police Services Board, “based on the discrimination Ms. Sorrenti experienced due to her gender identity and gender expression, which is contrary to section 1 of the Ontario Human Rights Code.”