In this episode of The Public Circle Podcast, I connect with Jonathan Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association, B.C. Chapter. He has worked in the sector for the past two decades and we start our conversation discussing how he got started and what he and the CMHA is doing today.
We cover a variety of relevant topics including,
• The resilience of the accomplishment made to date in destigmatizing mental health,
• How we need to take care in what we say and how we say it,
• The impact of the toxicity of illicit drugs, including both the tragic number of lives lost since the public health emergency was called in 2016, and also the growing number of brain injuries resulting from repeated drug poisonings,
• My experience sharing my substance use, abuse and addiction story,
• An update on the provincial government supports, services, response, and resources,
• Resetting our whole approach by creating a coherent system of care so that people know what to expect,
• Updating the Mental health act ensuring it is “fit for the purpose,”
• Emergency mental health crisis response, the role of police and civilian responses, and the PACT (peer assisted care teams) program to change the first response model,
• 911 (ECOMM) calls and how those calls are handled,
• Debunking the institutionalized stigma that all mental health calls end in violence,
• Impact of the prolific offender’s report and social service approach rather than a criminal justice approach to people who are repeat offenders
• Resisting the temptation to “fall into poles or camps” and the reminder to be thoughtful and evidence-based in our approach
• Recognizing that the victims of crime need support, respect, and justice but also that words are powerful, and
• Peer support and how we help the people in our lives – ask, listen, and offering a little help
For more information about Jonathan and the programs and services offered by the Canadian Mental Health Association visit https://www.cmha.bc.ca.
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