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Forced to the frontlines of mental health: Police have become the new first responders for vulnerable Canadians

Sunday, October 27th, 2019

… a mobile program called HealthIM, which gives police a medical checklist to assess a person’s risk level for self-harm, harm to others and an inability to care for themselves. If they decide to take the person to hospital, the information is sent ahead to a waiting triage nurse, so the medical team knows to expect them and can review the police assessment of the patient. Police can access the program from their cars or via smartphone.

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Posted in Inclusion Delivery System | No Comments »

The best defence against bullying

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Nov. 18, 2011
… research shows that when students spoke up, or jumped in physically, half of the incidents ended abruptly. Telling an adult is the ideal response – the more students who come forward, the more likely school officials will react. But in the higher grades… teenagers need specific skills: how to rally their friends to face down the bully or reach out to the victim… victims of bullying reported that bystanders were the most helpful when they comforted them after the fact, helped them get away from the situation, or gave them advice. What makes the difference may be numbers…

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Posted in Child & Family Debates | 5 Comments »

Ottawa develops workplace mental-health standards, but stops short of legislation

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

Jun. 16, 2011
The development of a national standard comes at a time when employers are under increasing legal pressure to provide healthy workplaces, even as the personal and financial cost of mental health rises in Canada. A report released in October found that over the past five years, damages awarded for workplace mental-health injuries have increased by 700 per cent… The standards are intended to lay out specific tools and guidelines for employers to assist workers struggling with illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

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Posted in Policy Context | No Comments »

To end poverty, guarantee everyone in Canada $20,000 a year. But are you willing to trust the poor?

Saturday, November 20th, 2010

Nov. 19, 2010
… what if we gave… poor Canadians something to count on: cash directly in their pockets, with no conditions, trusting people to do what’s right for them? It’s a bold idea, and it runs counter to the paternal approach to poverty that polices what is done with “our” money and tries to strong-arm the poor into better lives… It melds altruism and libertarianism, saying both that the best way to fight poverty is to put cash in poor people’s pockets and that people can make their own choices better than bureaucrats can. As a result, it can find support in theory from both left and right.

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Posted in Social Security Debates | No Comments »

Margaret Trudeau reflects on her struggle with mental illness

Wednesday, October 13th, 2010

Oct. 12, 2010
Margaret Trudeau, 62, recounts her struggle with bipolar disorder in a hopeful new book called Changing My Mind… I want others to understand that although this battle is a lonely one… without help you can’t do it…. This is why it is so important we recognize so early the symptoms. You have to go into therapy, you have to talk it out, you have to get rid of the guilt and shame for the actions you did in the past. You have to forgive others for not understanding what you were going through.

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Posted in Health Debates | No Comments »

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