Open Letter to Ontario’s Premier and Cabinet Ministers

Wednesday, July 8, 2020

Attention:

Hon. Doug Ford, Premier

Hon. Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health

Hon. Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions

Hon. Todd Smith, Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

Hon. Sylvia Jones, Solicitor General

Re: The Dangers of Police Involvement in Mental Health Checks

We write as members of the regulated health professions authorized to perform the controlled act of psychotherapy. Our regulatory colleges have been all but silent in response to systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, police brutality, and current events. We believe that this silence condones a deadly status quo.

Five Canadians have died during mental health checks in the last three months. In each case, the person died after police arrived on the scene. 

When we call 911 for an ambulance for our patients and clients, it is the police who intervene. This is how “wellness checks” result in vulnerable people being killed: the police arrive first, armed and trained to use force and violence.  

Systemic racism in policing disproportionately affects Black and Indigenous Ontarians, and calling 911 for wellness checks is ending in the deaths of those we are supposed to be treating. We must immediately stop any practice that could foreseeably result in our patients and clients being killed.

Having reviewed our applicable legislative, regulatory, and ethical obligations, we believe that the currently normalized practice of calling 911 is in fact not a professional or legal obligation. Rather, it is contained only in guidance- or directive-level communications from our regulatory colleges and training programs.

We therefore asked that the Colleges direct all members to cease the practice of calling 911 in these cases, and to clarify that members have no ethical or legal obligation to call 911. We also asked the Colleges to acknowledge systemic racism and policing as public health crises, and to call for the creation and funding of alternative resources that are community based, trauma informed, de-escalating, mobile, and competent to provide emergency mental-health services.  

The Colleges failed to respond. 

We believe that this failure to respond is a breach of their statutory duty to “serve and protect the public interest” under the Registered Health Professionals Act. Surely there could be no greater public interest than to stop these tragic and unnecessary deaths.

The Regulated Health Professionals Act also describes the Ministerial duty to “ensure that the health professionals are regulated and coordinated in the public interest”. 

In the public interest, we now demand that the Minister of Health immediately direct the Colleges to advise all members to stop calling 911 for mental health wellness checks and to take all related steps to ensure that this practice is entirely ceased. 

We further demand that the Government take steps immediately to redirect funding from policing in Ontario to community-based health initiatives that can provide trauma-informed crisis intervention and mobile mental-health supports that reduce harm and seek to prevent loss of life.

We call on you to uphold your mandate to protect the public interest and take immediate steps to address this urgent, life-threatening situation. We cannot afford one more death. 

Time is of the essence. Given the broad public consensus on the above matters, we believe that our demands are not controversial. We therefore expect that you will be able to meet them quickly, and anticipate your action within five days.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours truly,

List of signatories (as of Wednesday, July 8, 2020 at 1:00 p.m.):

• Gina Miranda, BA, RP

• Naaila Ali, MSW, BSW, BA, RSW

• Nalwanga Musisi, MA, BA, RP (Qualifying) 

• Christopher McKinnon, MA, BSc, RP (Qualifying)

• Tracey Mann, MSW, RSW - HEAL

• Tynan Rhea Bramberger, MA, RP (Qualifying)

• Quinten Hackwood, MACP student

• Alejandra (Erin) Lindan, MMT, RP

• Diana Chang, MA, CTP Dipl candidate

• Natania Marcus, MA, PhD candidate in Clinical/Counselling Psychology

• Sarah Chiddy, CTP Dipl candidate, therapist-in-training

• Ivana Kolakovic, MA, RP (Qualifying)

• Becca Pearl, MEd, RP

• Joan Ruzsa, RP (Qualifying)

• Heather Goodwin, RP

• Spring Berriman, RP (Qualifying)

• Sarah Miller, RP

• Gregory Rokhlenko, MA, MEd, RP (Qualifying)

• Kristin Casady, MA, CTP Dip, RP

• Iryna Dutko, RP

• Atia Haq, BSc, Dip HS, RP

• Juliann Rasanayagam, RP

• Susan Tarshis, MEd, RP

• Spencer Nageleisen, MA, RP (Qualifying)

• Leslie Kirsh, MEd, RP

• Amanda Ross, MSW, RSW

• Carla Ribeiro, MEd, MA, RP, CCC

• Nadia Saad, MSW, RSW - Psychotherapist

• Lindsay Elin, MSW, RSW

• Katie Ritchie, MSW, RSW

• Alan Eppel, MA, MB, MRCPsych, FRCPC - Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University

• mahboubeh katirai, RP

• Marlee Rubel, MEd, RP

• Maria-Eugenia Ricote, MEd, RP (Qualifying), CCC - Board Member, The Coalition for Persons with Disabilities

• Kelsey White, MSW, RSW

• Diviya Lewis, MA, RP

• Nalin Bisnath, RP (Qualifying)

• Allison Greene, LLB, CTP Dipl (Can) 

• Farzana Doctor, MSW, RSW

• Taina Mayberry, MSW, BSW, RSW 

• Kelsey Yarlett, MSW, RSW

• Rabeea Siddique, MA, RP (Qualifying) - Ontario Anglophone Director, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)

• Jen Colborne, MSW, RSW

• Tali Boritz, PhD, CPsych

•  Vanessa Caldwell, RP (Qualifying)

• Carly Boyce, MSW, RSW

• Michelle Crozier, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Cynthia Schoppmann, MA, RP, CCC

• Vanessa McSween, MSW, RSW

• JP Robichaud, senior student at Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP)

• Nicole Deeb, MACP student at Yorkville University

• Kayla Simms, MD, Psychiatry Resident - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University

• Jessica Kwan, MPH, RN

• Annie Amirault, MSW, RSW, University of Toronto, Dalhousie University 

• Sharon Bedard, CTP Dipl, BA, BEd, RP, Centre for Training in Psychotherapy

• Lauren Forrest, HBSc., MD

• Rose S. Suszek, Counsellor, Yorkville University

• Dayle Petty, BA, BAH, MA candidate

• Lisa Walter, MEd, RP

• Allison Wong, MA candidate, Yorkville University

• Hershel Russell, MEd (Counselling Psychology), RP

• Elisa Makadi, MA, RP, CCC

• Renee Raymond, MS, R.Kin, RP (Qualifying)

• Patty Hayes, MSW, MDiv, RSW, CCC

• Nicole Lawlor, MA

• Levana Lam, MEd, RP (Qualifying), CCC  

• Charles Chiarelli, BA (Hon), BEd, PGDip, Dipl, MPS Buddhism candidate - Emmanuel College

• Maham Fatima, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)   

• Yasmin Kowlessar, MA Counselling Psychology, RP (Qualifying)

• Uresha Salgado, MEd, RP, CCC

• Jebbeh Haslett, MA 

• Michael Peddle, RP, CCC, C. Hyp

• Geoffrey Sirett, RP (Qualifying)

• Jenny Andrus, MEd, RP, CCC

• Julia Viskov, MEd, RP (Qualifying)

• Alex Kazmin, RP

• Lindsey Thomson, MEd, RP, CCC, CACBT

• Janna L Bewley, MEd (Counselling Psychology), RP (Inactive)

• Eleanor Crook, MEd (Counselling Psychology) student at University of Ottawa

• Phenicia Wong, RP (Qualifying), MACP

• Britt Caron, RP (Qualifying)

• Marta Evans, MEd, RP, CCC

• Susan Abercromby, RP

• Susan Top, RP

• Lisa O'Grady, MEd, RP, CCC 

• Kim McMillan, PhD, RN, CHPCN(C) - Faculty,  University of Ottawa, School of Nursing

• Genevieve LeBlanc, MEd, RP (Qualifying) - Centre for Treatment of Sexual Abuse and Childhood Trauma 

• Bhisham Kinha, MEd, RP, EdD candidate - OISE, University of Toronto

• Andrea Bonsey, MEd, RP

• Meaghan Moore, MEd (Counselling Psychology), RP 

• Pauline O'Brien, EdD, RP, CCC-S, CCS-AC - Instructor, McMaster University

• Kaiva Mateus, MEd

• Olivia Scobie, MSW, MA, RSW, MSP - Postpartum Support Toronto 

• Michelle Ramalho, MSW, RSW

• Anne Walzak, RSW, SEP

• Ann Andree Wiebe, RP, M.Ed, CCC

• Jen Horak, RP

• Heidi Piotrowski, MA, RSW, C.Hyp

• Michelle Berezny, RP, MA, CCC 

• Jenna Rose, RP, RMFT

• Katie Greenough, RP, MA

• Radhika Gupta, RN, BScN, BA

• Mihaela Anghel, MSW, RSW

• Cynthia Bates, MEd, MA, Counselling, Psychotherapy & Spirituality, Saint Paul University

• Colleen Boehme, MSW, RSW, 

• Susan Harrison,  RP, MA, CCC

• Gaela Nelson, MACP student at Yorkville University

• Meagan Wachtel, RP, MEd, CCC

• Meghan Simmons, MSW, RSW

• Judi Siklos, RP, MA, CCC

• Reginald Oey, RP (Qualifying), MEd   

• Risha Dave, BA, MACP student - Yorkville University 

• Emma Dalziel, RP (Qualifying), MPS

• Stacey Hatch, RP, MC, CCC

• Justine Haney, MSc, MA candidate - The Centre for Human Ecology, Yorkville University

• Jane Barry-Shaw, MSc(A), RN

• Rosemary Ernhofer, RP

• Deborah Phoenix, RP

• Nasim Mahinakbarzadeh, RP, MA, CCC 

• Da-Eun Kim, RP (Qualifying), MEd

• Christine Caissie, RP (Qualifying), MA, MC 

• Signy Fridriksson, RP, MA Counselling and Spirituality, GradDip Couple Counselling

• Beau Molnar, RP (Qualifying), MA

• Robin Banister, RP (Qualifying)

• Erica Beatson, RP, MEd

• Laurenne Samuel, RP (Qualifying)

• Claire Slavin-Stewart, MD, McMaster University

• Angel Yuen, MSW, RSW, Narrative Therapy Centre

• Michael Rix, RN

• Anya Brooker, MC, CCC

• Carrie T Campbell, RN, RNAO and CNO

• Sherrie Mohamed, M.Ed, MSW, RSW

• Alyssa Bonneville, RP, MA

• Myles Zacharias, BA, Student Therapist, RMT

• Andrea Bessa, MACP, RP (Qualifying)

• Katjana Biljan, MA, RP

• Emily Milton, MSW, RSW

• Alison James, RP

• Katie McCowan, BA, CH, RSSW

• Kaleigh Trace, RP (Qualifying), MSc

• Pauline Pytka, B.A., M.D., FRCP (c) Psychiatry - Assistant Clinical Professor (part-time) of Psychiatry, McMaster University

• Mia Omara, MA student - Yorkville University

• Carla Bertolin-Siegmund, RP

• Janice Falls, RP, MEd

• Adele Wolpert, MSW, RSW - Associate Professor (part-time), Department Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University

•  Carol Parker, MSW, RSW

• Kennes Lin, MSW, RSW

• Sameen Salim, RP (Qualifying), MA

• Kyera Lamoureux, RP (Qualifying), MA

• Mark Cornfield, MD, FRCPC

• Mira Pinkus, student therapist

• Brendan McLarty, MSW, RSW

• Andi Yumansky, MPS, RP (Qualifying)

• Nate Freeman, BSW, MSW

• Sonya V. Thursby, DTATI, RP - Faculty, Toronto Art Therapy Institute

• Stephanie Markowitz, RP (Qualifying), MEd

• Natalie Grynpas, MSW, MA

• Veronica Umana, MSW, BSW

• Annette Bradshaw, B.Sc., M.A., R.P., BCN

• Gloria Lipski, RP (Qualifying)

• Jordan Lewis, MSW RSW

• Ana Montero, BSW, RSW, RP

• Kira Liss, MSW, RSW

• Wendy Kirk, M Div, RP, CIT, RLT - Board of Directors, OSRP

• Suzanne Bradley Siskind, RP, MA, MEd

• Rachel Tredon, RP (Qualifying)

• Asim Ashraf, MEd, RP (Qualifying)

• Nolan Blodgett, BSc, MSW

• Chris D'Agostino, MSW, RSW 

• Ricky Rodrigues, MSW, RSW

• Kristina Katsoras, RP - Member, CAPT

• Shannon Collins, MSW, BA Psych, B.Ed

• Eva Witkowska, MSc

• Alison Dunning, MEd, RP

• Erin Poole, M.Div., RP, Certified Spiritual Care Practitioner (CASC) - Hamilton Trans Health Coalition

• Rachel Morris-Ohm, MSW, BSW

• Bronwyn Friesen - student at McMaster University School of Social Work

• Kim Ritchie, SSW - student at McMaster University, staff at Grenfell Ministries

• Nicole Bellamy - student at Mohawk College, staff at Grenfell Ministries

• Mariam Ayoub, MEd, MA, PhD - University of Toronto

• Amy Druker, MSW, RSW - Faculty at the Narrative Therapy Initiative, clinical consultant at Breakaway Addictions Services  

• April Domingo, BA, MSW

• Jenna Pattison, MEd, RP (Qualifying)

• Heidi Cho, MSW, RSW - Hard Feelings Mental Health

• Lorie Rotenberg, RP, MEd (Counselling Psychology)

• Rahul Kambhampati - Social Work student

• Elizabeth Gula-Ferrie, RN

• Mary Beer, RP, MDiv, MA (Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy)

• Lesley Swartz, RP, MEd

• Paula Klein, MSW RSW

• Mackenzie Kinmond, MSW, RSW

• Heidi Mehta, MSW, RSW

• Ted Leckie, RP

• Angela Ross, MD, CCFP

• Anseh Dibaji, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Daniel Pugh, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Sarah Flanagan - student at Toronto Institute of Relational Therapy (TIRP)

• Heather White, RP, MA, DipTIRP

• Adam Segal, RP, MEd (Counselling Psychology)

• Gibran Rodriguez de los Reyes - PhD Student in Clinical and Counselling Psychology, University of Toronto

• Cathy Callaghan, MSW, RSW

• Robert Wallace, MSW RSW

• Lisa Bowman, MSW

• Rachel Fulford, CTP Dipl.

• Rahul Kambhampati - BSW student at York University (beginning Fall 2020)

• Paula Nguyen, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)

• Hayley Fisher Rochwerg, MA, RP

• Susan Yorke, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Ashley Groves, SSW

• Fadi Abou-Rihan, PhD, RP

• Natalie Zlodre, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Andrea Kwan, MSW, RSW

• Lila Knighton, MA, MSW, RSW

• Carolyn Smith, BSc, MSW

• Deb McLachlin, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Elizabeth Carey-Scarlett, MA, RP

• Sandra Borkovic, CCC, RP

• Grace Ross, RP, MSc - Faculty, York University School of Nursing

• Lydia Charak, RP, MA, BSc, BAA, CIP

• Agata Liebrock, RN, BScN, CPMHN(c)

• Sabrina Conrad, RP

• Marie Blais, BSCN - Harm Reduction Nurses Association (HRNA/AIIRM)

• Joel Parker, RP, BA, CTP Dpl

• Camille Djokoto, RP

• Anabel Khoo, MA

• Cleo Haber, MSW, RSW

• Rachel Collins, MSW, RSW

• Andrey Caric, RP (Qualifying), CTP Dipl.

• Risa Adams, MD, CCFP

• Skye Fitzpatrick, PhD, CPsych (Supervised Practice) - Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, York University

• Leann Lapp, PhD, C.Psych.

• Brendan BaileyMN, RN, CPMHN(C)

• Terra Dafoe, PhD

• Shauna Lancit, RP (Qualifying), PhD

• Sharon Chan, OT Reg. (Ont.)

• Padmaja Sreeram, BHSc, MD/MSc Health Policy candidate, University of Toronto.

• Tae Hart, C.Psych, Department of Psychology, Ryerson University

• Jacqueline Vincent, MA, MD - University of Toronto Psychiatry

• Lee Ogden, BSW, MSW., RSW

• James Callaghan, MD. FRCPC

• Lois Didyk, MSW, RSW

• Clarice Kuhling, MA - senior student at Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP),  contract faculty at Wilfrid Laurier University, Department of Sociology

• Louis Barbier, M.Sc., dipTIRP (in progress)

• Maggie Grant, RP (Qualifying)

• Jennifer Walker, MD, BScH in Biomedical Sciences

• Joshua Wales, MD CCFP(PC)

• Rahim Thawer, MSW - Sherbourne Health, Ryerson University, University of Toronto, Salaam Canada

• Elise Yoon, MSW RSW

• Pat Rayman, RP

• Garry Blinch, RP, MA

• Emily Thomas, MA - PhD Student in Clinical Psychology, Ryerson University

• Barzin Hosseini Rad - therapist in training, Centre for Training in Psychotherapy (CTP)

• kamela salimi, RP - Muslim Society of Guelph

• Suzanne Shoush, MD, CCFP - University of Toronto

• Baljit Kaur, PhD, RP, TEP

• Betty Huynh, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Bethany Good, BSW, MSW, RSW - PhD candidate at Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

• Monica Bridge, MA - future registrant of CRPO

• Susan Wood, RP - Registrar, Centre for Training in Psychotherapy

• Tiffany Merritt, RP (Qualifying), BFA, DTATI

• Loretta Mui, MSW

• Erica Warder, CTP Dipl (candidate) - therapist in training

• Lynette Gillis, RP (Qualifying)

• Tamara Lynn Robert, RP

• Jake Ernst, MSW, RSW - Clinical Director, Straight Up Health

• Amber Sperling, MSW RSW, PMH-C

• Pamela Chapman, BAA(Social Work), MSW, RSW

• Marisa Barnhart, MSW, RSW

• Agata Wesolowski, MSW, RSW

• Nicole Wilson, MA, MSW, RSW

• Erin Orsztynova, RP

• Elizabeth Mitchell, PhD, RP, MTA

• Christopher Miller, RP(Qualifying)

• Alicia Yurichuk, MSc, RP

• Elspeth Evans, PhD, C.Psych - Western University

• Nanky Rai, MPH, MD, CCFP - Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, Toronto Street Medics, Doctors for Defunding Police

• Nan Keyser, MEd, RP

• Laura Turnbull, Masters of Counselling, C.Psych

• Sarah Siddiqui, RP (Qualifying)

• Miranda Clayton, BSc, BA, BSW, MSW

• Victoria Okazawa, MSW, RSW

• Maija Sidial Whitney, BA, MSW in progress - FIFSW/UT

• Jiya Chaudhary, BSW - future OCSWSSW registrant

• Nagham Azzam, BSc, BSW, MSW, RSW

• Kat Dearham, MSW, RSW

• Roshney Kurian, BA - social work student - Carleton University

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