The Dark Side of Recovery: B. C. Takes a Step Towards Secure Care for Brain Injury and Mental Illness

As the Province of British Columbia takes action to address the rising tide of concurrent mental-health and addiction challenges, it's crucial to question the assumptions behind this new approach. What if the notion that secure facilities and involuntary care are the answer to this complex problem is wrong? What might be missing from the equation? The B. C. government is launching highly secure facilities for people under the Mental Health Act, as well as secure treatment within BC Corrections. The first correctional centre will be at the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre, while the first secure housing and care facility will be on the grounds of the Alouette Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge. These facilities will provide involuntary care for people certified as requiring that care. But what about the long-term consequences of such an approach? Won't these facilities simply further stigmatize individuals with mental-health issues and addiction? What about the lack of community support and alternative solutions? These questions must be asked to ensure that the implementation of these facilities is done in a way that prioritizes the well-being of those affected.Moreover, what about the role of social factors like poverty and trauma in perpetuating mental-health challenges? Can secure facilities and involuntary care truly address these underlying issues, or will they only serve as a Band-Aid solution? The Province is also building more than 400 mental-health beds at new and expanded hospitals in B. C. by modernizing approximately 280 outdated beds and adding more than 140 new mental-health beds. But what about the lack of community-based services and support? Won't these new beds simply perpetuate a system that relies on institutionalization rather than community-based care? In summer 2024, the Province appointed Dr. Daniel Vigo as B. C. 's first chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs, and concurrent disorders. He is working with partners to find better ways to support the growing population of people with severe addictions, brain injuries from repeated drug poisonings, combined with mental-health disorders and psychosis. But what if the focus should be on prevention rather than treatment? What if the solution lies in addressing the root causes of addiction and mental-health challenges rather than simply providing more facilities and services?