The Canadian Mental Health Association is trying to initiate a training program for emergency responders so they can better respond to calls involving mentally ill people.
The association says it has been working for six months to try to bring the training to New Brunswick but the provincial government won't commit to providing the needed additional funding, said Jason Purdy, the association's director of programs in New Brunswick.
"From everyone we've spoken to, it's been a great positive reaction. The biggest thing right now is no one is willing to move forward with it and put the funding in where it is needed," Purdy said.
The cost of the training is estimated at $250 per person. It is meant to educate police officers and other front-line workers about how to deal with mental illness when responding to emergency calls.
Two instructors have already been retained and classes could start as early as March if the provincial government signs on, Purdy said.
The two-day course is already available in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The association is also working to make it available in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, Purdy said.
The proposed New Brunswick course was created partially in response to recommendations made in March following an inquiry into the death of Kevin Geldart, said Purdy.
Geldart died from excited delirium after being shocked by a Taser by police trying to subdue him at a bar in 2005.
Only hours before, Geldart had walked away from the psychiatric ward at the Moncton Hospital, where he was being treated for bipolar disorder.
The training course would provide emergency responders with insight into what's prompting a mentally ill individual's actions and how to help calm the person, Purdy said.
"What it does, it really brings normalcy to the mental illness itself," he said.
"It really helps them relate and understand the mental health client and so when an officer comes into a situation in contact with someone with a mental illness, that they relate to them as more of a person."
'When I'm seeing these incidents continuing to occur, I'm just wondering why we haven't moved forward.'— Jason Purdy, Canadian Mental Health Association
Two more Taser-related deaths have occurred in Canada in recent weeks.
Howard Hyde, 45, died in a Dartmouth, N.S., jail on Thursday about 30 hours after being jolted by a Taser.
Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski died after being shocked by a stun gun at the Vancouver airport in October.
"When I'm seeing these incidents continuing to occur, I'm just wondering why we haven't moved forward," Purdy said. "Are we still waiting for more inquests? Do we need another coroner's report? Do we have to do more research?"
Public Safety Minister John Foran said the province will be presenting a draft policy on Taser use in about two weeks to ensure consistency across New Brunswick.
"We have to worry about the protection of all of our citizens, which includes our police officers, and it's just another tool that's available to the police officer," he said.
"But we want to ensure that they have the proper training and the proper guidelines how to use those."
With files from the Canadian PressRelated
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External Links
- Changing Minds - CHMA Newfoundland's training program
- Canadian Mental Health Association - New Brunswick
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