Disclosure of Mental Health Act interactions on Police Record

A major step forward in the battle against Mental Illness Stigma!!

Up until now, Police Forces have had the ability (and some municipalities have indiscriminately exercised this ability) to release any interactions with police under the Mental Health Act in a Criminal Record Search.  This would mean that any potential employee would have the ability to see all the occasions that you called 911 for emergency assistance due to a mental health crisis.

I am pleased, no ecstatic, no jumping up and down, to say that after involvement with the BC Civil Liberties Association, new legislation is to be introduced by the end of this year which will prohibit the release of this information on police record searches, unless that information is deemed to be directly and potentially damaging to the potential employment.  The offer of employment must now be made PRIOR to any search and no police agency in BC will be able to freely divulge this information.

This means that anyone with mental health emergencies can call for help without fear of repercussions that could effect existing and future employment and hopefully make patients feel more comfortable in getting help when it is needed most, with the knowledge that these medical issues are kept private as they should be.  These changes will be implemented province-wide and will hopefully change the lives of many by opening new doors for help and future opportunities.

Insanely excited over this one as I have been fighting it for over a year now.