Recent cases of violence across Canada demonstrate a clear need to treat mental illness early instead of waiting until a serious crime happens, says an executive with the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Jonny Morris, the CEO of the B.C. division of the association, said the emphasis now is on people having to reach a particular point in their illness before receiving treatment.
He said there has been a recent focus on treating the calls as public-health issues rather than criminal justice matters, but police are now seeing it "manifesting" as crime. Morris cautions that falling back on mental illness as a "catch-all" for why random acts of violence occur creates unwarranted stigma and may prevent people in crisis from seeking help.
Butler and former Vancouver deputy police chief Doug LePard co-authored a report for the provincial government last year examining prolific criminal offenders. "The vast majority of people with mental illness will never be involved in crime or violence. However, there appears to be a moderate but significant association between psychotic disorders and violence," the report said.
Butler said a key recommendation in the report is for the creation of crisis response and stabilization centres.
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