Until about 1930, hospitals existed mainly for the severely sick, the mentally ill, and people with contagious diseases. The first asylum in Ontario “for the reception of insane and lunatic persons” opened in 1841 and after many changes evolved into the current site of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto. For decades, the human race has fought with mental illness. Society viewed, and still does view these individuals as social outsiders and often has trouble with idea of helping or coping with them. More permanent homes and hospitals have now been established to house individuals with disorders that have inhibited them to function well in society or are in danger of harming themselves/others, these hospitals are commonly known as Psychiatric Hospitals. I would like to change Bill 68, Brian's Law (Mental Health Legislative Reform), proposed to the provincial government of Ontario, Section 15, to impose stricter admission regulations and requirements on psychiatric patients.

One out of every five Canadians battle with a mental disorder and it is the leading cause of disability in Ontario; four of the ten leading mental disorders for causing disability are major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. If a person is determined to have a severe mental disorder and is in danger of harming themselves or others, a physician may choose to involuntarily admit the individual into a psychiatric facility. However, many of these individuals are not admitted until their second or third examination. To clarify, individuals with severe mental disorders are examined and then released back into society only to be brought back by either a family member or a police officer. Otherwise, these persons are left the attempt to function within society where many of them are homeless, living on a fixed and often turn to substance abuse as a coping mechanism. I would like to change this law because it would help a large percentage of the population with mental disorders, as well as their families because the individuals would be safe and treated, while their families would not be faced with the burden of attempting to help and/or care for them constantly, complicating their own lives. As well, police officers would be in less danger because they would not have to confront the same person multiple times, when they themselves could be injured if the individual became scared or violent.
I move to change Section 15 of Brian’s Law, which states;
(1.1)Where a physician examines a person and has reasonable cause to believe that the person,
(a)has previously received treatment for mental disorder of an ongoing or recurring nature that, when not treated, is of a nature or quality that likely will result in serious bodily harm to the person or to another person or substantial mental or physical deterioration of the person or serious physical impairment of the person, the physician may make application in the prescribed form for a psychiatric assessment of the person.
I wish to change this statement to;
Upon original examination by a general practitioner and a psychologist, if an individual is deemed to be unfit to care for themselves and to provide the necessities of life, or is suspected to be in danger of causing serious bodily harm to the person or to another person or substantial mental or physical deterioration of the person or serious physical impairment of the person, should then be, at that time, involuntarily admitted by a physician into a facility where they will receive treatment for their disorder until they are deemed capable of functioning within society adequately.

In conclusion, I feel that there should be stricter regulations on psychiatric patient admissions because many individuals with mental disorders are not receiving the care they should be getting and are being turned away from hospitals when they attempt to get it. Families, police officers and individuals would be safer and