Police forces are calling for legislative changes to encourage the sharing of information from the health network about people in psychological distress who are often the subject of 911 calls, in order to prevent tragedies.
Representatives of the police community spoke about their reality on the second day of the recommendations and representations of the public inquiry of the Coroner's Office on the theme of suicide, at the Trois-Rivières courthouse on Thursday.
The notions of confidentiality and professional secrecy must be relaxed, said Julie Marcotte, captain and deputy commander of the Direction adjointe de la surveillance du territoire at the Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ).
"When there is an emergency, the information goes in and out, there is no problem," said Marcotte. "But when the danger is not immediate or for future interventions, the police officers face a refusal from the health professionals," said Marcotte in front of the coroner Julie-Kim Godin.
The duty of confidentiality that applies to the care teams "hampers" the work of the officers when they intervene regularly with the same people in distress. More often than not, they are returned to the hospital because the police officers don't know what to do, she said.
Inspired by the Ottawa police, the SPVQ has set up a discussion forum with the CIUSSS in the region and a crisis assistance service to determine what to do in recurring cases. But unlike the Ottawa model, the Quebec City police force faces more constraints in terms of confidentiality.
Health care providers are "very reluctant" to publicly promote their collaboration with the SPVQ, said Marcotte, who presented the story of a woman with whom the police intervened 43 times between 2020 and 2022.
The sharing of information in "situations of concern" must be legitimized in order to "reassure" those employees "who are currently afraid" to pass on certain details, Marcotte said.
THE 'TIPPING POINT'
An officer from the Longueuil police service also suggested that the Access to Information Act be made more flexible to allow for the sharing of information without consent, before an urgent and dangerous situation arises.
"We need to add a notion of transition, a 'tipping point' to the law," said Ghyslain Vallières.
"At the tipping point, this pivotal moment, I think we are very legitimate to say: we are at such a high risk that we don't have to wait for the emergency under the crisis," said Vallières, who came to describe the Longueuil police's RÉSO initiative to help the most vulnerable.
"You have to wait until the person wants to commit suicide before you give them support and accompaniment? Why? We've already lost there," he continued.
Often, institutions have a narrow interpretation of the law, unlike the experts, Vallières said.
The Quebec City police are also proposing to amend the law on the protection of persons whose mental state presents a danger to themselves, which is "too restrictive."
The law (LPP) allows for a court order at the request of a physician for a person to be held temporarily in a health institution for a psychiatric examination, despite the absence of consent, because of danger to himself or to others.
If an intervener believes that a person's mental condition presents a "serious and immediate danger," a police officer may, without court authorization, take the person to a facility against his or her will.
"The law is for here and now. I would like to be able to talk to each other until the care order is made," said Marcotte.
The coroner's inquest covers the deaths of Mikhaël Ryan, Joceline Lamothe, Suzie Aubé, Jean-François Lussier, Marc Boudreau and Dave Murray.
Initiated in 2019, the inquest is in its final stretch, after completing the factual component last fall. It first looked into the causes and circumstances of each of the deaths.
The hearings on the recommendations and representations will be held until June 10. About 40 witnesses will contribute to the coroner's reflection on solutions to prevent suicide.
On Friday, relatives of the deceased who are the subject of the public inquiry are expected to share their comments.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 2, 2022, with the financial support of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowships
