Support for involuntary mental health or addictions treatment
Windsor's mayor is backing a controversial proposal that would force people into involuntary mental health or addictions treatment.
What people across the province are talking about was referenced in a Facebook post by Mayor Drew Dilkens.
In it, Dilkens supported a perspective from Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who is calling on the Ontario government to make changes to the provincial mental health act that would force people with addictions and mental health into treatment.
Dilkens was not available for comment Thursday, but a couple of his councillors chimed in.
"No one's talking about kidnapping anybody here," said Coun. Ronaldo Agostino.
"What is happening right now is not working," said Coun. Angelo Marignani. "So, we need to focus on something, something new, something out of the box, and it might just be the mandatory treatments for individuals who, basically, they've given up. So, we have to give them hope."
Agostino added, "I'm talking about full time, supportive health care for the people that need it the most, and those people that need it the most also happen to be the people that are causing some of the grief for a lot of the other people in the areas where the help is needed."
(Source: Drew Dilkens/Facebook)Involuntary treatment has been enacted in British Columbia. The verdict is still out on the success but the Canadian Mental Health Association B.C. shared its concerns in a report saying, "A movement to detain more people under these conditions and culture, without addressing significant gaps in the quality and effectiveness of care, will not lead to positive or dignified outcomes for people."
Chris Thibert is an addiction counselor with Phoenix at the Downtown Mission and says his experience taught him that hitting rock bottom was what it took for him to turn his life around.
"I came to the point where I knew that it was either sobriety, get better or die. It wasn't going to take them. It took me to finally wake up and say, okay, I want to live…. My kids on one side, my mom on the other side, yelling and screaming from both sides, trying to get me figuratively, trying to get me to change and I couldn't come to that realization until I did myself," he said.
Agostino feels if someone is repeatedly critical there should be a condition of sentence and treatment should be made available.
"I think it's policy changes now that we have to start looking at to coincide with some of the other things that are happening."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ontario plans to bar international students from medical schools starting in 2026
Ontario says it will not allow international students in medical schools beginning in the fall of 2026.
High-ranking Ont. police officer allegedly sped through a school zone, says report, but details are still murky
An Ontario police force has been accused of letting a deputy chief off the hook for speeding tickets. The results of an investigation into the allegations have not been provided, despite repeated requests for details.
BREAKING Ottawa police deem death of a woman in south end park a femicide
A Montreal man is charged with first-degree murder in connection to the stabbing death of a woman at a park in Ottawa’s south end on Thursday.
Here's why a mortgage broker thinks a 30-year amortization is a 'trap'
The federal government allowed 30-year mortgage amortizations for first-time homebuyers purchasing new builds in August, and the new rules are set to expand in December to everyone looking to buy a newly-constructed home.
Mother of 6 dies in deportation centre after Canadian government refuses to repatriate her from Syria
A Quebec mother of six, once detained in northeast Syria, has died while waiting for repatriation. The Canadian woman was known only by her initials F.J.
50 tonnes of hardened grease removed from sewers in Richmond, B.C.
Crews removed approximately 50 tonnes of 'fatbergs' from the sewer system in Richmond, B.C., earlier this month, according to Metro Vancouver.
How to prepare your online accounts for when you die
Most people have accumulated a pile of data -- selfies, emails, videos and more -- on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
E. coli infections tied to McDonald's burgers rise to 75, U.S. FDA says
The number of people infected by the E. coli outbreak tied to McDonald's Quarter Pounder hamburgers increased to 75 from 49, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday.
Judge upholds dismissal of involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in on-set shooting
A New Mexico judge has upheld her decision to dismiss an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on the set of a Western movie.