The BC NDP says it will invest up to $90 million to establish involuntary care beds at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver if re-elected.
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The BC NDP says it will invest up to $90 million to establish involuntary care beds at the Okanagan Correctional Centre in Oliver, with the party saying the facility would become part of its provincial network of involuntary care centres for people experiencing severe mental health and addiction challenges, along with complex brain injuries, if it is re-elected.
The announcement says involuntary care centres are already operating in Surrey and Maple Ridge, and that new facilities are set to open in Surrey and Prince George.
The party also pledged to expand voluntary treatment across B.C. and said 35 Foundry centres are open or on the way, including locations in Kelowna, Penticton and Vernon.
According to the BC NDP, Foundry centres have provided mental health and addictions services to more than 84,000 youth since 2019.
In a statement released with the announcement, Loyal Wooldridge, the BC NDP candidate for Kelowna Centre, said, “As a Kelowna City Councillor, I’ve seen two clear truths: families are desperate to save their loved ones, and everyday people want to feel safe in our public spaces.” She added, “Walking by someone in total crisis and doing nothing isn’t freedom; it’s a clear sign we need to take more action.”
Harwinder Sandhu, the BC NDP candidate for Vernon-Lumby and a health-care professional, said, “I’ve seen firsthand the need for safe, appropriate care for those facing complex challenges, which makes them unable to make decisions for themselves,” adding that the party is “committed to building both voluntary and involuntary care options so people can get the right help, at the right time, in the right place.”
The NDP announcement comes after B.C.’s Supreme Court ruled in July that sections of the Mental Health Act allowing for “involuntary care” for people with severe mental health and substance issues are unconstitutional, following a challenge by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities. The court found the Mental Health Act gave hospital directors what it called blanket power to impose psychiatric treatment, and the lawsuit did not challenge involuntary admission.
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