SooToday received the following letter to the editor from Julie Hryniewicz in response to the debate over involuntary treatment for people suffering from addiction and other mental health issues. Hryniewicz is a former police officer and founder of the now-closed drop-in space Lodge 137.
My blood boils when I read about politicians discussing forced or involuntary treatment to solve this crisis across Canada and Ontario.
In my opinion, any politician who supports this needs to go. It is based on ignorance and being uneducated on the topic.
Such a ridiculous concept for communities where we don't even provide 24/7 washrooms, showers, and a place to sit and rest "unless you stay in a shelter" (which is more quasi forced treatment), even when there are not enough shelter beds to meet the need and when some communities like SSM don't even have a treatment centre, at all.
When anyone chirps about the fact that since people "choose" not to stay in shelters, too bad, so sad. No one should be forced to stay where they are not comfortable.
They don't want to sleep where bed bugs are, they don't want to sleep next to people they don't trust. They don't want to be violated, assaulted, or stolen from. They don't want to part with belongings, pets, or partners. They have P.T.S.D. or anxiety disorders, or no communication orders, or they are banned from shelters. Or they don't want their belongings thrown out by staff, as has happened various times. They also don't want to stay where they know drugs will be all around them and tempting, if they are using prescription treatment for substances.
There are various reasons why people "choose" to stay out of shelters. Last time I checked, people have free will. Yes, many prefer the streets to shelters, but those same individuals had no issues resting on chairs in our drop in centre, or accessing our support services, by the hundreds. Why?
They trusted us, we protected them and their belongings, we let couples in, pets in, provided locked and secure storage for personal items, and built trust and rapport with the community experiencing homelessness, with the intention of building relationships and a gateway to healing. Clearly many don't always trust the shelters.
Since what we are currently doing is not working. This is why I am so passionate about advocating for a 24/7 safe drop-in space, as the next community step.
We call it abduction, forcible confinement, and assault in the Criminal Code and in the policing world, when someone is violated against their will. This is what involuntary treatment would be.
The Mental Health Act is strict for a reason, so we don't casually scoop up people and violate their rights. Since Algoma reports more deaths by smoking and alcohol, than opioids, I wonder how many people would support involuntary treatment in Sault Ste. Marie for smokers and individuals with alcohol dependency?
Sounds like the government is contemplating pulling the Residential School, Indian Day School, and 60's Scoop atrocities all over again. When will the government stop forcing systems on Canadians that are detrimental, while not investing in the resources that will actually make the difference?
Don't they realize how inaction on resolving root causes of crime, housing, and substance use is costing billions and billions of dollars anyway, in calls for service and ramifications from the emergency, police, paramedics, fire, crisis, hospital, court, corrections, child protective, and coroner services? Why not put millions or billions into actually resolving the problems, instead?
How politicians feel we can force involuntary substance use treatment on humans without their consent, is unbelievable.
If we started doing the things that will actually make the difference, like 24/7 voluntary and welcoming supportive drop-in services, healthy and staffed transition housing room rentals, substance use treatment facilities in every community to actually handle the need, and supportive and affordable, healthy housing, then we will start to turn this all-consuming community crisis around.
Our health-care system can't even handle the baby boomers who are aging, hospitals are backed up already, and politicians want the problem to go away by snapping their fingers and going from 0 to 100 forcing treatment when they haven't even put the basic steps in place that will actually make the difference. Basic human needs should be addressed first. Astounding ignorance.
We are a society of politicians who are perceived to be out of touch with reality, because of privilege and entitlement, who are making unreasonable decisions that are not based in common sense, because they have no idea what is going on, on the front lines.
Politicians are making sweeping statements and decisions without having a clue of what is happening, or needed, because they don't live it. It is beyond baffling to me.
Pain and despair have plagued millions of people across our community, Ontario, Canada, North America, and internationally, masked as an opioid housing, and mental-health crisis.
This world-wide devastation only gets better when we start listening to solutions from the community of people who are working in it, volunteering in it, and living it. Period.
Julie Hryniewicz
Richards Landing