Let's talk about Mental Health

Let’s Talk about Mental Health:

Yes,…..let’s talk about Mental Health.

1)  Let’s talk about how the Government of Ontario has reduced the number of inpatient beds for geriatric mental health patients – in some places closing units altogether, or un-funding them before they could be opened.

-  Geriatric patients have unique needs - and patients with dementia or Alzheimer’s do not belong with other mental health patients.

2)  Let’s talk about the dearth of mental health services for pediatric (“Child & Adolescent”) patients in Ontario – especially if those patients require admission to an inpatient bed in a hospital.

-  If they are placed on a “Form 1” (involuntary admission due to the threat of harm to themselves or others) – there are even less beds available for them in the province.

-  Some “Child & Adolescent” mental health units have been closed, had the number of beds reduced, or been unfunded prior to opening.

-  The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has a surprising lack of beds per capita available for child or adolescent mental health patients on a “Form 1”.

-  Most pediatric hospitals in Ontario do not have the capability to admit and care for child or adolescent patients on a “Form 1”.

3)  Let’s talk about how the Government of Ontario has systematically closed all of the psychiatric “Emergency Departments” at dedicated psychiatric hospitals – leading to longer wait times for mental health patients to be assessed by a psychiatrist, and leading to a further strain on Emergency Departments in acute care hospitals.

4)  Let’s talk about how the new psychiatric hospitals being built in Ontario have LESS inpatient beds than the older buildings that they are replacing.

5)  Let’s talk about the inability of patients requiring “Detox” to go directly to a facility with “detox” capabilities – thus adding further strain to Emergency Departments in acute care hospital – and a further strain to the ever-shrinking number of inpatient mental health beds in acute care hospitals.

-  Currently patients requiring “detox” show up at their local ER and are admitted to one of the limited mental health beds – just so they can “detox” and be sent out the door days later.

6)  Let’s talk about how fewer and fewer hospitals are providing crisis intervention training to their Emergency Department, Mental Health, and Security staff.

-  Currently most hospitals in Ontario require their Emergency Department, Mental Health, and Security staff to undergo the two-day “CPI” crisis intervention course – and recertify on a regular basis.

-  Those hospitals usually require all other staff with patient contact to undergo a shorter course – and recertify on a regular basis.

-  Some hospitals have shamefully not made this a priority.

Links:

“CPI – Nonviolent crisis intervention training”:  http://www.crisisprevention.com/Specialties/Nonviolent-Crisis-Intervention