Join the call for a psychiatric COVID-19 response!
Health Justice, along with 22 other human rights, Indigenous, mental health, women’s, and legal organizations, is calling on BC to publicly report on COVID-19 infection rates in psychiatric units and facilities and the provincial policies that are in place to address the safety and well-being of patients and staff.
There have been staggering outbreaks of COVID-19 in psychiatric facilities throughout the world and we are only through the first phase of the pandemic. For example, England has reported serious COVID-19 outbreaks among patients detained under its Mental Health Act, with twice as many patient deaths due to the virus, but we just don’t know what is happening to people held under the Mental Health Act in BC.
People detained in psychiatric settings are exceptionally vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their ability to physically distance may be negatively impacted by closed, communal living conditions and people with serious mental health concerns are at a higher risk because of pre-existing health inequities. They are more likely to experience serious symptoms from COVID-19 that may threaten their health or their lives. And mental health issues are not experienced equally, with Indigenous people experiencing higher rates due to the impacts of historic and ongoing colonialism and discrimination.
We are urging BC to ensure transparency around a coordinated provincial approach to address COVID-19 transmission in psychiatric facilities, including:
Reporting publicly on the number of cases of COVID-19 in psychiatric facilities to date
Ensuring that all patients with COVID-19 are treated in humane and therapeutic conditions and their human rights are respected
Taking steps to prevent infection, including ensuring that psychiatric patients that test positive for the virus are separated from patients without confirmed COVID-19 and limiting staff working across wards and facilities
Ensuring that access to justice is protected, including remote access to advocates and lawyers
Involving people with lived experience of involuntary psychiatric treatment and staff in policy development
Read the full letter here
Read our media release here
Interested in taking action? Add your name or organization to our website to support these calls!
Please note that it may take 24 hours for your name to appear in the list below.
Current co-signatories:
Access Pro Bono Society
Adriana Viskovich
Amy Wing
Atira Women’s Resource Society
Barbara Phillips
Barbara Rex
BC Aboriginal Network on Disability Society
BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres
BC Civil Liberties Association
Byron Wood
Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division
Canadian Mental Health Association Kamloops
Canadian Mental Health Association Kelowna
Canadian Mental Health Association Kootenays
Canadian Mental Health Association North West Vancouver
Canadian Mental Health Association Shuswap-Revelstoke
Canadian Mental Health Association South Cariboo
Canadian Mental Health Association Vancouver Fraser
Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon
Community Legal Assistance Society
Carol Dowie
Carolina Evans
Debra Parkes, Peter A. Allard School of Law, UBC
Disability Alliance BC
Ellen Bolger
Eli Leary
Ernie Baatz, Spectrum Society for Community Living
Isabel Grant, Peter A. Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia
Janette Sperber
Jay Aubrey
Jess Key
Karalyn Foster
Katherine Moore
Kathleen Collins
Kim A. Hines, LLEOHN
Law Union of BC
Leah Harris
Lisa Wong
Lisa Woolman
Matthew Laing
Neringa Dainaraviciute
Pivot Legal Society
Riley Hill
Rise Women’s Legal Centre
Ruby Dhand, Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law, Associate Professor
Samuel Harrison
Susan Boyd
T.J. Suter, B.R.A.I.N.
Together Against Poverty Society
Union of BC Indian Chiefs
Watari Counselling and Support Services Society
West Coast LEAF
Yvette Cowan