What is B.C.’s Mental Health Act and why is it relevant to Tumbler Ridge shooting?
Global News
Police say the Tumbler Ridge teenage shooter had previous Mental Health Act apprehensions, prompting renewed focus on the law in B.C
Police have said the teenage shooter who killed eight people and herself in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., had previously been apprehended under the Mental Health Act.
In a Wednesday press conference, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said police had previously visited the home where Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, lived, and that she had been apprehended under the act on multiple occasions.
Here’s what you need to know about the act.
THE FRAMEWORK
Each province has a mental health act, which is designed to outline a legal framework of what should happen when a person with a mental illness needs treatment and protection for themselves or others.
Jonathan Morris, chief executive officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s B.C. division, says the law permits police to apprehend and transport a person to a hospital or mental health facility for an assessment.
He said they can then be involuntarily admitted for treatment if a doctor deems it necessary, which means the patient cannot leave on their own terms.
There are criteria for involuntary admission: if a mental illness “seriously impairs someone’s ability to function”; if there’s a risk of deterioration or harm; if they require some form of psychiatric treatment; and if they are unwilling to be treated, Morris said.
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