LETTER: Health advocate calls for stronger community treatment orders in P.E.I.

P.E.I. is opening the legislative assembly of P.E.I. for its fall sitting on Nov. 3, marking its historic return to the newly restored Province House after a nearly 12-year renovation.

There will be countless debates on many issues. I have been lobbying for an amendment to the P.E.I. Community Treatment Order for over two years. This includes collaborating with two renowned community treatment order experts, namely, Dr. Richard O’Reilly and Dr. John Gray. In conjunction with that, I have had communication with Robert K. McKee, K.C., the minister responsible for addictions and mental health services in New Brunswick.

I contacted the New Brunswick Government as they have the best supervised community care plans in Canada. Actually, their SCCs have the same medical objective as the Prince Edward Island CTO.

What is a community treatment order? The CTO in P.E.I. is a legal mechanism under the Mental Health Act that allows a person with a mental disorder to receive involuntary treatment, care and supervision outside of a psychiatric facility. The supervision may include a psychiatrist, nurse or case worker. The CTO is signed by the psychiatrist for six months and may be renewed.

There is a major problem with the community treatment order on P.E.I. It is so restrictive that few Islanders qualify. The P.E.I. CTO requires a hospitalization period of 30 days over the prior two-year period. This is next to impossible to achieve due to a shortage of hospital beds. I have figures to support this belief.

Health Minister Cory Deagle reported that 12 community treatment orders were issued between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025. New Brunswick issued 129 supervised community care plans (SCCs).  Why are there so few CTOs issued on P.E.I.? Here is the answer. N.B. considers history of hospitalization or deterioration without treatment as their key factors for SCC eligibility. Why can’t P.E.I. do the same?

Basically, the community treatment order assists individuals with serious and persistent mental illness by ensuring they stay on their medications. Many individuals are able to work and live independently, thriving in the community. They are able to achieve a healthy lifestyle and families no longer have to break down hurdles trying to receive the proper mental health care for their loved ones.

Many times a mentally ill person is suffering from anosognosia. Anosognosia is a neurological condition where individuals are unaware of their own disabilities or health conditions, significantly complicating their treatment and care. Frequently, the mentally ill person will ask to leave the hospital not realizing that they are seriously ill and need medications.

The P.E.I. government has had a review board working on the Mental Health Act for several months. I was assured that the proposed CTO amendment would be included on their agenda. I also asked that the P.E.I. government collaborate with the N.B. government.

I received a statement from Robert McKee stating the Department of Health in his province would be pleased to meet with P.E.I. to provide details of its program’s structure and operations. He wrote, “Thoughtful dialogue across provinces contributes to improving mental health systems nationally.”

I have been assured that the P.E.I. government did reach out to the N.B. government. The question is, “Will they support an amendment to the P.E.I. community treatment order?”

I am asking Islanders to write heartfelt letters to their premier and MLAs in support of a community treatment order amendment. Islanders deserve better mental health care. We can save lives with more community treatment orders being issued.

Marlene Bryenton,
 
Health advocate,
 
Charlottetown