Stigma of criminal record ‘is massive,’ say advocates who want to reform pardon process – CBC News [2024-01-02]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Justice, Society — 1 min read

When Steven Deveau describes his frustration with the process to suspend a criminal record, he keeps coming back to two women.

The women were hoping to attend a nursing program. But because of their records from past convictions — and small unpaid fines related to those convictions — they were barred from applying.

They came to Deveau seeking help with a record suspension. He’s a case manager with Pardon Me, a free service based in Dartmouth, N.S., that began offering peer support for people going through the record suspension process last year.

But Deveau had to tell them they weren’t eligible.

“When we have these barriers, then we’re really keeping people out of the workforce, and where they got that momentum going with changing their lives, it’s very discouraging.”

In Canada, the record suspension process is lengthy and complicated, and many Canadians continue to encounter barriers to work, school and housing. While changes have been made to streamline the process, advocates say there’s more work that needs to be done.

“Let’s stop giving people life sentences,” said Deveau. “Because that’s what we’re doing, right? We’re giving people life sentences in the community.”

Read more here:

CBC News
January 2, 2024

Quebec City looks to Finland’s successful approach to ending homelessness – Global News [2023-12-31]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Housing, Poverty, Society — 2 min read

As Quebec faces a worsening homelessness crisis, some politicians, including Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, have suggested the solution may be a Finnish model that aims to give everyone a home.

But while Finland has managed to massively reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness through its “housing first” approach, one Quebec expert said she’s not sure it could be applied here, even if the provincial government was interested.

“It’s the right way to fight the problem of homelessness,” Helsinki Mayor Juhana Vartiainen said of his country’s approach in a recent interview.

The Finnish model is simple, he said: give people quality, permanent housing before attempting to address other issues — such as alcohol and drug use, or mental health problems — or helping people find jobs

“That’s really the fundamental idea of our policy, if we give people a home, there will be very positive side-effects,” Vartiainen said.

Giving people an apartment leads to improved health, less drug and alcohol use, he said, and increases the chance that people will find jobs. Once someone is given a home, he said, there are teams that ensure they receive the care and support required.

Read more here:

Global News
December 31, 2023

Connection between light levels and mental health — climate change could also have an impact in the future – Science Daily [2023-12-21]

2024-06-14 — Mental Health — 1 min read

In Finland, there is a clear increase in the number of sick days taken due to depression, anxiety and sleep disorders in October and November, whereas the number of absences is lower than expected between June and September. In late autumn, the number of sick days taken is almost twice as high as in the summer and about a quarter higher than in early autumn. On the other hand, manic episodes related to bipolar disorder occur more frequently than expected during the spring and summer, when there are more daylight hours, and less frequently than expected during darker times of year.

The results can be found in a study funded by the Research Council of Finland. The study was conducted as a part of the Climate Change and Health research programme. The aim of the study was to investigate the connection between changing light levels and mental health. It is expected that due to climate change, winters in Finland will become darker while summers will become brighter.

Read more here:

Science Daily
December 21, 2023

Expert says number of police shootings in Canada ‘spectacularly unrelenting’ – CTV News [2023-12-30]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Justice, Police, Society — 2 min read

The family of a woman shot by an officer in Edmonton during a wellness check says her death was unnecessary, as the number of police shootings across Canada show little sign of relenting over the past four years.

“I see my daughter’s death as being a result of a complete mishandling of the tools available to law enforcement in the application of dealing with mental health issues,” the family of the woman, who has not been publicly identified, says in a statement from their lawyer, Tom Engel.

Edmonton police have said officers were called for a welfare check earlier this month. There were risks the woman may harm herself, so police say officers entered the apartment, there was a confrontation and the woman was shot.

Family says that had the police approach been gradual and gentle, she would have understood the nature of the visit and would still be alive.

A tally compiled by The Canadian Press found police shot at 85 people in Canada between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15 — 41 fatally. It was based on available information from police, independent investigative units and reporting from The Canadian Press.

“This is a spectacularly unrelenting phenomenon,” says Temitope Oriola, a professor of criminology at the University of Alberta and president of the Canadian Sociological Association.

This year, the number of police shootings has nearly matched the total from 2022, when 94 people were shot at, 50 fatally. It remains a significant increase from four years ago, when there were 61 shootings, 38 of which were fatal.

The resulting snapshot shows more officers firing their guns since 2020, when the high-profile murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis spurred global movements urging police accountability and transparency.Criminologists say officers need more training and restraint, while the RCMP union says police have been forced to the front lines of Canada’s mental health crisis and face increasingly dangerous situations.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 30, 2023

Trigger warnings do not work, according to recent meta-analysis – PsyPost [2023-12-28]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Mental Health, Society — 2 min read

Trigger warnings are statements designed to forewarn viewers about potentially distressing content. A recent meta-analysis of 12 studies concluded trigger warnings have no effect on emotional responding to negative material or educational outcomes. This research was published in Clinical Psychological Science.

While some advocate for trigger warnings as a way to emotionally prepare or shield individuals from unwanted content, critics argue they might exacerbate negative reactions or promote avoidance behaviors. The debate has led to empirical studies examining the impact of trigger warnings on emotional reactions, material avoidance, anticipatory emotions, and educational outcomes.

Originally appearing in early internet feminist forums to flag content about trauma, the use of trigger warnings has expanded to various contexts including university classrooms and media, with a broadened scope of experiences warranting warnings. Most studies suggest that trigger warnings have minimal impact on emotional response or material comprehension, with some indication of increased anticipatory anxiety.

Victoria Bridgland and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to examine the efficacy of trigger warning. To be included in the meta-analysis, research had to include the provision of a warning to participants, measurement of psychological or behavioral responses, and a warning intended to alert participants about content that might trigger memories or emotions related to past experiences.

PsyPost
December 28, 2023

High levels of carbon monoxide, mould found in homes on Ontario reserves: study – CTV News [2023-12-28]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Housing, Indigenous — 2 min read

A study has found air inside homes on four remote First Nations in northwestern Ontario contained carbon monoxide, fine particles, mould and other substances that increase the risk of respiratory infections.

The report’s author, David Miller, a distinguished research professor at Carleton University, says there are ways to improve ventilation.

“This is an opportunity not a black hole,” said Miller.

The study published last month tested the air in 101 homes on Lac Seul First Nation, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, Sandy Lake First Nation and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. Three of the communities aren’t accessible by road except during a short time in winter.

About 27 per cent of the homes had elevated levels of carbon monoxide. Almost half had visible mould.

“Ten per cent of the houses have enough mould damage that they should be fixed today, not tomorrow,” Miller said.

He said researchers also found endotoxin levels higher than in any previous study in Canada. Levels of the bacterial compound were 1,000 times higher than Miller said he has ever seen. When concentrations of endotoxins are high, they can affect lung function and cause a greater response to allergens, particularly in children.

Endotoxins can come from things like pets, humidifiers, firewood stored indoors and cigarette smoke. They are also more likely in rural areas rather than cities.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 28, 2023

Niagara police officer asks trans woman for ‘deadname’ while questioning her filming at bus terminal – CBC News [2023-12-23]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — 2SLGBTQ+, Police — 2 min read

Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) says it is reviewing an incident from Dec. 17, after an officer asked a transgender woman for her “deadname.”

It comes after the woman, Sabrina Hill, posted a video of the incident on social media.

Hill, a prominent local LGBTQ activist and licensed paralegal, told CBC Hamilton she posted the video “to highlight the very real experiences a lot of trans, queer and non-binary people experience when being policed here in the Niagara Region.”

“This isn’t my first experience … and it’s not getting better,” the 44-year-old said, referring to negative interactions with police.

“By me putting a bit of exposure on this, hopefully it’ll compel action. I’m a firm believer that sunshine is the greatest disinfectant.”

A deadname is the name a person used, often their birth name, before their transition.

For trans people, using their deadname can be “extremely triggering,” says Colleen Elizabeth McTeague, a trans woman and facilitator for the peer support group Transgender Niagara.

A 2018 study published in the U.S.-based peer-reviewed Journal of Adolescent Health found using someone’s chosen name reduced mental health risks among transgender youth.

McTeague and Laura Ip, the chair of Niagara Region’s diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory committee, told CBC Hamilton the incident is concerning and they want the police service to take action.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 23, 2023

A killer is found not criminally responsible. The Crown and defence agree the system is broken – CBC News [2023-12-16]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Justice, Mental Health — 1 min read

For defence lawyer Marni Munsterman, the “discomforting and alarming” detail that stood out in the large volume of evidence about Adam Rossi — who was found not criminally responsible on Friday of the second-degree murder of Sommer Boudreau, and interfering with her remains, in the Ottawa Valley a year ago — was one of his more recent hospitalizations.

That hospitalization, for mania stemming from his bipolar disorder, occurred before he killed Boudreau, 39, in his duplex in Deep River, Ont., in early December 2022.

A psychiatrist was contemplating a community treatment order for Rossi with long-acting injectable medication, something that could have helped after he kept deciding to stop taking the antipsychotic pills that court heard quickly eased his symptoms.

“For whatever reason, that didn’t happen,” Munsterman said.

She called it a “travesty,” and said it shows “how broken our system truly has become” in providing support to people with mental illness.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 16, 2023

Why Bad Grammar Activates Our Fight-or-Flight Response – Psychology Today [2023-12-14]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Miscellaneous, Society — 1 min read

Does grammar matter? And did you have a teacher in your youth who insisted on drumming the rules of good grammar into you—and was that teacher on the stern and grumpy side of the instructional continuum?

My anecdotal research into these questions over the years has gradually built a composite picture of a somewhat terrifying authority figure, either male or female, who insisted on good grammar as the essential basis of a sound education. They managed to impart enough of it to you so that you cringe when someone uses “among” and “between” interchangeably—or flubs the distinction between ‘that” and “which” because of a fatal lack of understanding of the difference between an independent and dependent clause.

Now, a study reveals that your response to those solecisms (and your bad-tempered teacher’s response) is indeed physiological: The grammar of language affects us viscerally.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
December 14, 2023

We want to keep people alive’: Outreach workers call for tools to combat toxic new street drugs – CBC News [2023-12-14]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Substance Use — 1 min read

Walking through the Glengarry non-profit housing complex in Windsor, Ont., harm reduction outreach co-ordinator Lacie Krzemien is exhausted.

The recent news that Windsor’s only safe consumption site, Safepoint, will pause operations at the end of December has left her despondent.

“I’m upset, because it’s taking away another resource. It means more of my clients are at a higher risk of death,” said Krzemien, who distributes safe supplies for people using drugs with Pozitive Pathways Community Services.

She says the announcement comes at a time when the drug supply has become increasingly toxic. The arrival of drugs such as “tranq,” fentanyl mixed with xylazine, an animal tranquillizer that’s resistant to naloxone, is making the overdose crisis even more complicated.

Tranq has also become infamous for causing users to develop seeping wounds.

Earlier this year, Health Canada released a report that said tranq was spreading rapidly across Canada. In 2022, 75 per cent of the drug samples tested that contained xylazine were from Ontario. According to Ontario’s coroner, xylazine has been detected in 184 drug toxicity deaths since 2020.

At least two of those were in Windsor.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 14, 2023

New psychology research reveals a strong link between life purpose and reduced depression – PsyPost [2023-12-09]

2024-06-14 — Mental Health — 2 min read

Recent research has demonstrated a significant connection between having a sense of purpose in life and lower levels of depression and anxiety. This finding, based on data from tens of thousands of individuals and published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, suggests that having a sense that your life has meaning and direction can influence your mental well-being.

Depression and anxiety are among the most common mental health disorders globally, impacting the lives of millions. The World Health Organization has identified depression as a leading cause of disability worldwide. Given their prevalence and impact, finding ways to effectively prevent and treat these conditions is a high priority in public health and psychology.

Understanding how purpose in life interacts with mental health disorders can inform treatment and prevention strategies. If a strong sense of purpose is found to be significantly protective against depression and anxiety, mental health professionals can integrate methods to cultivate and strengthen this sense of purpose in therapeutic interventions.

“One of my interests is the area of positive psychology, which focuses on individuals’ strengths and growth potential. Having purpose in life can be a strength and may assist individuals both in flourishing and in buffering the effects of adverse events,” said study author Nicola Schutte, an associate professor of psychology at the University of New England in Australia.

Read more here:

PsyPost
December 9, 2023

Does microdosing magic mushrooms help people with mental health issues? Science is trying to find out – CBC News [2023-12-09]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Mental Health — 1 min read

“Microdosing saved my life,” says Andrina Stan.

Stan, 35, works as an integrative therapist in Toronto and has struggled with her mental health at times. Stan says she believes it was psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient found in magic mushrooms, that helped her turn her life around.

“In December 2020 I found myself in the middle of this living space, curled up in a ball,” she explains. “It was a very dark space. So I was contemplating suicide.”

Stan says she tried different therapies but nothing really helped until she found magic mushrooms — which are illegal to produce, possess and sell in Canada without special permission.

“I’m not sure that I would still be here if it weren’t for microdosing,” Stan says.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 9, 2023

Bariatric surgery saved my life. But it wasn’t the ‘easy’ way out of weight loss – CBC News [2023-12-09]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Health & Fitness — 2 min read

As a child, I was always what some would call “the chubby girl.” Later, as a single mom of two children living in a low-income neighbourhood, I couldn’t always put quality food on the table. A bag of frozen fries was cheaper than fresh fruits and vegetables.

My weight ballooned to 246 pounds. Even walking around the mall was sometimes hard on my back, and I had a hard time shopping for my weight. I tried lots of diets — I would lose some weight only to gain it back a few months later.

Then, in 2018, my doctor suggested I consider bariatric surgery. I got the referral but while waiting for the appointment, I often second-guessed my decision. Being from a Haitian background, I knew many in my community wouldn’t understand why I wanted this surgery. Food is the centre of Caribbean life. Whether celebrating a birth or mourning a death in the family, food is always there. We show love by feeding our relatives and friends. And if someone refuses our offer of food, we might think you’re sick or there’s something wrong.

When I told some family members that I was waiting for bariatric surgery, their first response was, “Why? You’re not fat. You carry your weight very well.”

Some of my friends would comment, “Oh, when you get skinny, you’ll think you’re better than us.” And yet, these were the same friends who would comment, “You’re not ugly. You’re cute for a big girl.” That phrase was said so often to me, and I hated and resented it. And so, I held onto my decision to go through with the surgery. It was the right choice for my health and for my future.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 9, 2023

On the Brink: The ‘harsh environment’ of youth homelessness from a lived experience – Global News [2023-12-08]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Housing, Poverty, Youth — 2 min read

Kat Bagnald knows what it’s like to be on the brink.

At the young age of 20, she’s already been through a lot. She struggled with housing insecurity since she was 16 and has spent the last four years between shelters, couches, and the streets.

Being a young person can be challenging at the best of times, but when you’re also struggling with not having a stable place to live, life becomes especially difficult.

“It’s a really taxing experience mentally for anyone, but especially for a youth who’s still got a developing brain,” said Bagnald. “It’s a really harsh environment. Youth get taken advantage of a lot, because we’re vulnerable.”

She said there are a lot of dangers youth can face while living on the streets.

“I’ve been jumped by people I’ve trusted,” she said. “It’s really dangerous out there.”

Trying to fend for yourself at such a young age can also be lonely.

“When you’re unhoused, there’s so many barriers,” said Bagnald. “There’s evident ones, like not having food and a roof over your head, but also (not) having supportive people around you as well.”

After being unable to find a shelter bed in her hometown of Halifax, Bagnald made the more-than 300-kilometre move to Yarmouth, a small town on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.

Read more here:

Global News
December 8, 2023

How tiny shelters in Ontario are looking to fill the gap for those in need of housing – Global News [2023-12-08]

2024-06-14 — Housing — 2 min read

Rows of tiny cabins across a Kitchener, Ont., neighbourhood have been catching the eye of several communities across the province that’ve begun duplicating the model, hoping to bridge the gap between homelessness and permanent housing.

A Better Tent City (ABTC) co-founder and chair Jeff Wilmer says compassion from the community, support from city politicians and the local public school board made their small community possible, and it’s inspiring copies across the province.

“Now Waterloo Region, the municipal government here, has basically replicated our community with a second tiny home community, also with 50 cabins,” Wilmer said.

“It looks very much like ours, and so having a good solution distributed in multiple places seems to be one approach.”

Peterborough came on board this past week with its own cabin community, while Hamilton continues to explore the prospect.

The intention is to temporarily house people living rough with challenges, like mental illness, drug addiction and isolation, in a community with supports to stabilize their lives.

But for some stakeholders, it’s still too early to tell if the scheme has legs long-term and can be a viable transitional piece to house those experiencing homelessness.

Read more here:

Global News
December 8, 2023

Woman who threw hot burrito bowl at Chipotle worker sentenced to fast food job – CBC News [2023-12-06]

2024-06-142024-06-14 — Justice, Society — 1 min read

A woman who threw a hot burrito bowl in a Chipotle worker’s face because she didn’t like the way it was prepared may soon learn what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter.

An Ohio judge sentenced 39-year-old Rosemary Hayne to three months in jail for assault, but offered to shorten her sentence by 60 days — if she agreed to work at a fast food restaurant.

Emily Russell, the victim of the burrito bowl attack, says she’s “truly happy with the outcome.”

“I honestly thought she was going to get a slap on the wrist and nothing of it,” Russell told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. “Having her have to walk in my shoes, and go to jail, I think it’s a perfect outcome.”

Joe O’Malley, Hayne’s attorney, told CBC his client “is grateful for the opportunity to get a job to reduce her sentence and demonstrate her true remorse for her behaviour at Chipotle.”

“She truly regrets her actions and the pain that it caused,” he said in an email.

Read more here:

CBC News
December 6, 2023

Voluntary decals to alert B.C. first responders to presence of people who are neurodivergent – Global News [2023-12-06]

2024-06-122024-06-14 — Autism, Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, Police — 1 min read

Families across the province will soon have access to a new set of stickers for their vehicles or homes, alerting first responders to the presence of a loved one with autism or another type of neurodivergence.

The BC Association of Chiefs of Police will make the voluntary decals available for pickup at police stations next year. The intent of the new resource is to alert first responders attending a scene so they can adjust their response appropriately, association president Fiona Wilson told Global News.

“That would just let the officer know that they should rely on their training and make sure that they’re communicating in a way that resonates with an individual who is autistic or neurodiverse,” the Vancouver police deputy chief constable explained.

“Just like any situation, the more information and background that our responding members have with respect to a person, the better they’re able to tailor their response.”

Read more here:

Global News
December 6, 2023

New Mental Health Guidelines from the World Health Organization: Psychosocial treatments are given precedence over pharmaceutical ones – Psychology Today [2023-12-06]

2024-06-122024-06-12 — Mental Health — 1 min read

The World Health Organization recently released its 2023 diagnostic and treatment guide to mental, neurological, and substance use disorders.

Last updated in 2016, adopted in more than 100 countries worldwide, and translated into more than 20 languages, the 150-page document provides more guidance than earlier editions, with a new section on anxiety disorders and summarized evidence of what are currently most effective and least costly treatments.

The WHO considers mental, neurological, and substance use disorders “major contributors to morbidity and premature mortality in all regions of the world.” Yet treatment is poorly matched, with insufficient resources causing significant treatment gaps. In 2019, the latest edition found that mental, neurological, and substance use disorders were responsible for 10.1 percent of the global burden of disease as measured in disability-adjusted life-years and 25.1 percent of all years lived with disability.

Read more here:

Psychology Today
December 6, 2023

Naloxone: What to know about the opioid overdose-reversing drug, free across Canada – CTV News [2023-12-03]

2023-12-032023-12-03 — Substance Use — 1 min read

Health Canada has called the opioid crisis one of the most serious public health threats in recent history, and an addictions specialist says everyone can play a part in helping reduce the death toll. All it takes is access to naloxone, a life-saving medication that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose.

“It’s something that all adult Canadians, and I would hazard to guess teenagers as well, should have access to and be aware of,” said Dr. Sam Hickcox, chief officer of the Nova Scotia government’s Office of Mental Health and Addictions. “If there’s something we could do to save a life, why wouldn’t we?”

He compared administering naloxone to using an EpiPen to treat someone having an anaphylactic allergic reaction.

Hickcox said the country’s ongoing opioid epidemic has been made worse as Canada’s illicit drug supply became “poisoned” in recent years with toxic, highly potent opioid additives like fentanyl and carfentanil. Some users report not knowing what’s in the drugs they’re using.

“It’s been wreaking havoc across the country … starting in the West Coast and heading eastward,” he said in a recent interview.

Read more here:

CTV News
December 3, 2023

Musk uses expletive to tell audience he doesn’t care about advertisers that fled X over hate speech – CTV News [2023-11-29]

2023-11-292023-11-29 — Society, Technology — 1 min read

Billionaire Elon Musk said Wednesday that advertisers who have halted spending on his social media platform X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material are engaging in “blackmail” and, using a profanity, essentially told them to go away.

“Don’t advertise,” Musk said.

He appeared to specifically call out Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger, saying, “Hey Bob, if you’re in the audience … that’s how I feel.”

In an on-stage interview at The New York Times DealBook Summit, Musk also apologized for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory in response to a post on X that helped fuel an advertiser exodus.

Read more here:

CTV News
November 29, 2023

Growing number of homeless people turning to ERs for shelter and warmth in Ontario, study says – CBC News [2023-11-28]

2023-11-292023-11-29 — Housing, Poverty — 1 min read

When Dr. Carolyn Snider arrives for her early morning emergency room shifts, she regularly sees between five and 10 people in the waiting area who don’t need medical attention— just a safe place to stay warm.

“[They’re] truly there to just stay out of the elements,” said Snider, chief of the emergency department at St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto.

“This has already been occurring this fall. I can’t even imagine what will be occurring over the upcoming [winter] months,” she said.

There’s been a significant increase in the number of homeless people taking refuge in downtown Toronto emergency departments over the last few winters, Snider said. She and colleagues did some research to see if they could quantify what they were seeing.

The resulting study, published on a pre-print website Tuesday, examined data that had been collected from hospitals across Ontario, documenting ER visits from the winter of 2018-19 through to last winter, ending March 31, 2023.

It found that non-urgent emergency department visits among people who are homeless increased by 24 per cent across the province over those five winters.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 28, 2023

Developmentally Disabled People Are Being Pushed into Homelessness – The Tyee [2023-11-28]

2023-11-282023-11-28 — Developmental Disabilities, Poverty, Society — 2 min read

Just before the summer started, Jon Harry was told he’d have to leave his room at a Duncan motel because the owner planned to renovate.

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Harry, on provincial disability benefits, had already been struggling to pay for his small motel room, which didn’t include a kitchen: rent was $1,100 a month, leaving just $200 to pay for food and other living expenses.

But Harry was unable to find a new place to rent, and for the last five months, he’s been sleeping rough.

“I was in a tarp and blanket, and then I was in a tent for a little bit,” the 34-year-old Duncan resident told The Tyee. “And now I’m trying to go to a shelter.”

Harry is one of a new wave of developmentally disabled people who are ending up homeless in B.C.

Organizations that support developmentally disabled clients say it’s a recent phenomenon, and a new low for a province that has struggled with rising homelessness, spiking rents and rampant real estate speculation for years.

Read more here:

The Tyee
November 28, 2023

Doctor points to gaps in London area child and youth mental health care – CBC News [2023-11-27]

2023-11-272023-11-27 — Mental Health, Youth — 1 min read

A doctor in Alymer, Ont., is speaking out after facing barriers to get outpatient mental health care for a 12-year-old patient identified as being at high risk for self-harm.

Dr. Michael Fernando is a general practitioner who took over as the family doctor for the girl last summer. Her mother has given Fernando permission to speak to CBC News about her health issues. CBC has agreed not to publish the girl’s name because she is a minor.

Fernando said that in assessing the patient, it was clear she needed extensive mental health supports, including outpatient care from a child psychologist.

“The mental health concerns were very severe,” said Fernando.

Over the past year, the girl’s parents had twice taken her to the emergency room for treatment for hallucinations and a desire for self-harm. She was provided a safety plan by doctors, but did not have a referral for outpatient care from a child psychologist.

Read more here:

CBC News
November 27, 2023