MLA John Lohr's call for mental health court expansion is a personal one
Kings North MLA's son, Caleb, suffered from psychosis and died in 2014
For PC MLA John Lohr, calling for mental health courts to be established in every region of Nova Scotia is both a political and personal act.
The farmer-turned-politican introduced the Mental Health Court Expansion Act Friday in the Nova Scotia Legislature. The three-paragraph bill would commit the provincial government to add to the two mental health courts already established. There's currently one in Dartmouth and a pilot project in Kentville.
"Mental health courts are needed in every jurisdiction in the province where there are courts because these things are happening everywhere and there are people with mental health illnesses everywhere," Lohr said at Province House after tabling his proposed law.
'Never got to mental health court'
Lohr speaks from personal experience.
His son Caleb suffered from psychosis. In October 2014, Halifax Police arrested him at gunpoint after he paddled a canoe in the Northwest Arm to try and evade officers following a break and enter.
He faced a variety of charges and at the time his family hoped the case could be settled in mental health court. Caleb had a date to appear before the court in Dartmouth but died about a month after his arrest. His body was found near a popular hiking trail at Cape Split.
"I know from personal experience that it can be a very traumatic moment in a young person's life and having that option [of mental health court] was certainly a comfort to our family," Lohr said Friday.
"Unfortunately we never got to mental health court, but it just meant that we knew that he would be mandated a treatment program and we were confident that it would have turned out OK."
Putting people in jail is expensive
"I think it could be argued that it would save money," he said. "Putting people in jail is very expensive and having the ability to sort of rescue people at a moment of crisis in their life and get them proper treatment and have a court-ordered treatment plan is worth something too."
Lohr said the Dartmouth court has proven itself successful in helping people with mental illnesses who have been charged with crimes.
"Given that that court has run for more than five years now," he said, "it's time to have it in other areas of the province."
'We believe in it'
Although Justice Minister Diana Whalen said she is supportive, in principle, about expanding the service, she was noncommittal Friday.
"We recognize that we need more specialty courts," she said. "We believe in it. We think it's the right thing to do."
The minister said her department's priority is to add to the single domestic violence court in Sydney. She also pointed to other specialty courts already in place that could help someone with a mental illness.
"Amherst has a wellness court and so does Port Hawkesbury," she said. "Both of those have really sprung up from the initiative in the community and that's why I say we don't need to have an act to do this. What we do need to have is co-operation and work with our partnerships."