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<\/p>\nPolice have said the teenage shooter who killed eight people and herself in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., had previously been apprehended under the Mental Health Act.<\/p>\n
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In a Wednesday press conference, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald said police had previously visited the home where Jesse Van Rootselaar, 18, lived, and that she had been apprehended under the act on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know about the act.<\/p>\n
THE FRAMEWORK<\/p>\n
Each province has a mental health act, which is designed to outline a legal framework of what should happen when a person with a mental illness needs treatment and protection for themselves or others.<\/p>\n
Jonathan Morris, chief executive officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association\u2019s B.C. division, says the law permits police to apprehend and transport a person to a hospital or mental health facility for an assessment.<\/p>\n
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He said they can then be involuntarily admitted for treatment if a doctor deems it necessary, which means the patient cannot leave on their own terms.<\/p>\n
There are criteria for involuntary admission: if a mental illness \u201cseriously impairs someone\u2019s ability to function\u201d; if there\u2019s a risk of deterioration or harm; if they require some form of psychiatric treatment; and if they are unwilling to be treated, Morris said.<\/p>\n
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A doctor or nurse must complete a certificate, which grants them the right to hold that person for up to 48 hours, to assess the patient and determine if it\u2019s safe for them to be discharged or not.<\/p>\n
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Morris, who is not privy to information about the suspect in Tumbler Ridge and was speaking generally about the act, said any patient should be comprehensively assessed and a plan should be established before they are discharged.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what happened in this case, but sometimes there can be, more often than not, gaps along that journey, right? People might not leave with a full picture of a diagnosis, for example,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Canadian Press requested additional information from the province\u2019s Health Ministry on the suspect\u2019s mental health treatment.<\/p>\n
The ministry said the RCMP will make decisions about what information will be released, and if key issues aren\u2019t answered through the investigation, the government will consider measures to provide further answers.<\/p>\n
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HOW LONG CAN A PATIENT BE HELD?\u00a0<\/p>\n
If a doctor determines a patient needs further treatment after 48 hours, they will complete a second certificate, which allows them to detain the person for another month.<\/p>\n
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