The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has mental health covered for inmates in the city’s two prisons, says the vice-president for mental health and addiction services.
The Canadian Psychiatric Association released a statement about a lack of mental health services in prisons across Canada. The group predicts the problem will become worse if the federal government passes its crime bill.
“The number of people with mental illness in our correctional facilities makes for a crisis that needs urgent attention,” said Dr. Gary Chaimowitz, CPA Board member, in a media release.
“By the end of this year, the federal government will pass legislation that will dramatically increase the number of incarcerated individuals in Canada. Just like current prison populations, these people will experience mental illnesses at disproportionately high rates. It’s time to stop using prisons as a parallel healthcare system for people with mental illness.”
While the city doesn’t have a federal prison, it does have the Thunder Bay Correctional Facility along Highway 61 and the District Jail on MacDougall Street.
Janet Sillman, vice-president for mental health and addiction services for the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, said they have a number of services in place to ensure inmates get the help they need.
Five-days a week, a court support worker goes to the correctional facility, provides assessments, and then recommends further care for the inmates.
In addition, Peter Schubert, a forensic psychiatrist, is scheduled for a visit half a day a week to work with patients. Sillman said Schubert often sees 10 to 20 patients on a weekly basis.
Schubert, who wasn’t available for comment, told Sillman that he felt they were doing a good job in providing services to those with mental health needs.
“He said people are prioritized based on need,” Sillman said. “People who are really acute or need immediate access or urgent access are getting care as quickly as possible. There may be some folks who have to wait a little while but he said over all the services where pretty comprehensive.”
But not all mental health services within the justice system are for those in jail.
Sharon Pitawanakwat, director of community development and support services with the Canadian Mental Health Association, said there’s steps to ensure people with mental health issues can get help in the community.
The volunteer-based Mental Health Court Diversion Program was created for people who have committed an offence that’s considered low to medium such as theft and have become involved with the law because of their mental health issue.
Pitawanakwat said the accused fills out an application and if approved can spend their time in a community-based program in order to get the support they need.
‘It’s a way to divert individuals away from the judicial system when their offence is directly attributed to a health issue,” Pitawanakwat said. “They aren’t criminals. Maybe as a result of their illness or an exacerbation of their symptoms or something like then that’s who they found themselves involved in the judicial system.”
Pitawanakwat said the program has helped to make sure those with mental health issues can cope better with different situations.
