BC Association of Social Workers

BC Premier plans to expand involuntary care

By: Sofia Chassomeris, News Writer Content warning: brief mentions of substance use, mental health disorders, brain injuries, death, and involuntary detainment. On September 15, BC Premier David Eby’s office released a statement detailing plans to open more involuntary long-term care facilities in the province. Individuals with severe mental health combined with substance use disorders, or brain injuries from drug poisioning, would be detained at the facilities under BC’s Mental Health Act (MHA). This comes amid BC’s eight-year opioid crisis, as those with substance use disorders are being detained under the MHA at increasingly high rates. Involuntary treatment is not a…

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