By Dr. Sandy Simpson, CAMH Chief of Forensic Psychiatry
Patients at CAMH who have been found to be “Not Criminally Responsible” for their actions because of mental illness are admitted under an order of the Ontario Review Board.
The goal is recovering their mental health and returning safely and successfully to the community.
Such patients are cared for by a clinical team which is led by a psychiatrist with specialized training in forensic psychiatry. This system is very effective and patients cared for through these processes are at very low risk for reoffending.
More information about the Forensic Mental Health System in Ontario
As our patients are recovering, a system of gradual reintegration into their community takes place. This includes short day passes, first accompanied by hospital staff, and later, independently.
Passes to leave CAMH are allowed once a patient has reached a defined level of stability, based on a careful risk assessment performed by a specialist and reviewed by the CAMH forensic services senior team. The decision takes into account the safety of the patient and the community. It must conform to the parameters that have been approved for that patient by the Ontario Review Board.
Rarely, one of our patients who is out of the hospital on a pass fails to return. When this happens, police are notified and the media may become involved. Such an incident can generate sensational headlines implying that the public is in danger, even when the patient is not considered a risk to the community. This can cause needless public concern
There is a great deal of fear surrounding people with mental illness, even after they have received treatment and been stabilized. It is important to remember that people who have been treated for their mental illness can and do recover, and that patients in the forensic mental health system are at low risk to reoffend.
It is also important for CAMH to continuously improve our community reintegration processes in order to reduce the risk of a patient failing to return to hospital when required to do so.
Media coverage: Not Criminally Responsible myths, debunked (Global News)