Missing Pieces: Joshua's Story

Missing Pieces
Joshuas Story
October 2017
Oct. 4, 2017
The Honourable Darryl Plecas

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Suite 207, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4
Dear Mr. Speaker,
I have the honour of submitting the report Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story to the Legislative
Assembly of British Columbia. This report is prepared in accordance with Section 16 of the
Representative for Children and Youth Act, which makes the Representative responsible for
reporting on reviews and investigations of deaths and critical injuries of children receiving
reviewable services.
Sincerely,
Bernard Richard
Representative for Children and Youth
pc: Ms. Kate Ryan-Lloyd

Deputy Clerk and Clerk of Committees,
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
Mr. Craig James

Clerk of the Legislative Assembly
Acknowledgement
The Representative acknowledges the deep loss suffered by the family of the youth
who is the subject of this report and thanks them for their patience and assistance
in its preparation.
ii Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

Contents
Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Methodology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chronology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Recommendation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Appendix A: Representative for Children and Youth Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appendix B: Documents Reviewed for the Representatives Investigation. . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Appendix C: Interviews Conducted during the Representatives Investigation . . . . . . . . 54
Appendix D: Multidisciplinary Team. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Contacts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 1

2 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
In many ways, Joshua was like thousands of other teenagers in British Columbia.
He was intelligent, caring and had a sharp wit. He loved his family and his cat. He
dreamed of one day having a wife, children and a little house in which they would
all live.
Tragically, Joshuas dreams were not fulfilled, and the Representative acknowledges the
deep pain felt by his surviving family members. There is nothing that compares with the
loss of a child and a brother. No reports, findings or recommendations can ease that pain.
However, there are surely lessons to be learned from Joshuas story the story of a
youth who, despite the considerable efforts of those in British Columbias health care,
education and child welfare systems, didnt receive the supports he needed to overcome
his debilitating mental illness.
On July 31, 2015, Joshua jumped to his death from a construction crane located on the
grounds of BC Childrens Hospital (BCCH) in Vancouver, where he had resided for 122
days. The BC Coroners Service ruled the death of the 17-year-old a suicide.
Following a recommendation from the coroner, the Representative launched an

investigation into Joshuas life and the circumstances that led to his death. And despite
an exhaustive review that included 43 interviews with family members, community
professionals, hospital staff and government employees, the Representative cannot say
conclusively that better services would have prevented this tragedy.
What this investigation does conclude, however, is that a truly clear and comprehensive
youth mental health system would have given Joshua and his family a better chance to
deal with his challenging illness.
Joshua exhibited signs of serious mental health issues at an extremely young age. He
was just two-years-old when his mother sought help from the Ministry of Children and
Family Development (MCFD) because her son was hitting himself and banging his
head on walls. He did not receive the early intervention services that may have altered
his life trajectory. Joshuas condition escalated to the point where, as an eight-year-old,
he told school staff: I want to die . . . nobody cares, nothing can be done. His first suicide
attempt came at age 11, he began withdrawing from school at 13 and self-harming at
16. Joshuas symptoms of mental illness increased over the years as his social functioning
decreased. This led to an inevitable decline in the well-being of Joshua and his family as
time went on without the youth receiving comprehensive, early, long-term mental health
interventions.
After being airlifted out of an isolated forest area following a third attempt to take his
own life in March of 2015, Joshua was hospitalized and eventually admitted to BCCH,
where he would remain for four months as hospital staff and MCFD struggled to work
out a post-discharge plan that would ensure Joshua could be safe in his community.

Executive Summary
During that period, Joshua had a large team working on his case that included several
health care professionals, clinicians and social workers. In fact, for much of his life,
professionals in the health care, education and child welfare systems made multiple and
laudable attempts to help.
However, as pointed out in this report, there were very significant gaps in the system.
And the Representative is deeply concerned that unless these gaps are filled, there will be
more children such as Joshua who fall through the cracks.
Multiple recommendations to create a clear and comprehensive system of mental health

services for children and youth including prevention services, support for families, a
variety of residential and community services and appropriate emergency and acute care
have been made during the past 14 years. These recommendations have come from
governments own internal reviews, from the Representatives Office and from the Select
Standing Committee on Children and Youth.
Joshuas story reinforces the desperate need for such a system. The fact that he languished
in hospital for four months, potentially losing what remaining hope he possessed while
psychiatrists and social workers wondered where he could be safely placed, clearly shows
that there is a dire need in B.C. for step-down residential services those that would
enable a child or youth to ease out of a hospital setting and prepare for a return to their
family and community.
The fact that Joshua was twice hospitalized and kept in an adult psychiatric ward because
no appropriate facilities were available for youth shows that such acute care facilities are
lacking. The fact that services were offered in Joshuas early years but were inconsistent
and often withdrawn whenever he exhibited signs of improving, shows that the full
continuum of services for children and youth with mental illness and the means of
tracking such vulnerable youth to ensure they are receiving what they need is not
available in this province.
The fact that Joshuas mother struggled to find a suitable caregiver for him and was
continually called upon to pick him up from school despite having no ability to
do this while still holding down a job is evidence that support services for families
facing complex mental health challenges are lacking in B.C. And the fact that Joshuas
complete withdrawal from school as a young teenager was not a trigger for a more
serious intervention is a sign that child welfare, health and education are not always
working together the way they should for the benefit of young people in B.C. with
mental health concerns.
Joshua was a complex young man and this report is not an attempt to deny the
complexity of his illness or suggest that there was an easy remedy. But the Representative
believes that government can do better for its children than what it did for Joshua and
his family.
The formation by the provincial government of a new Ministry of Mental Health and
Addictions in July of this year is a promising signal a recognition that the system needs

Executive Summary
work and that government takes the issue seriously. Through the lone recommendation
of this report, the Representative calls upon that new ministry to lead government as a
whole in the development and implementation of a comprehensive system that offers a
full continuum of mental health services for children and youth.
Although led by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions, this system must span
all of the other child- and youth-serving ministries as well as professional and service
provider organizations and it must be fully resourced.
The Representative calls on the provincial government to follow through on early signs
that it prioritizes the improvement of mental health services for children and youth to a
standard similar to what is offered for physical health issues.
To do so would be to honour the memory of Joshua and to learn from his story.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) (UNCRC) is an international
treaty that recognizes specific rights for all children in the world, in addition to the
rights for all people outlined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).1
Canada ratified the UNCRC in 1990 and, in so doing, acknowledged that it is the Canadian
governments responsibility to implement the articles in the convention and to ensure that
childrens rights are upheld in Canada.
The Representative uses a child rights lens when conducting investigations into critical
injuries and deaths. In this report, Articles from the UNCRC will be highlighted in text boxes
where they apply.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, (Treaty Series 1577, 1989).
1

Methodology
Methodology
The Representative for Children and Youth Act (RCY Act) (see Appendix A) requires a
public body responsible for a reviewable service, such as mental health or child welfare
services, to report to the Representative all critical injuries and deaths of children and
youth who received a reviewable service in the year leading up to the incident. The
Representative assesses these reports to determine if the incident meets the criteria for
a case review which, once completed, assists the Representative in deciding if a full
investigation is required.
In January 2016, the Representative completed a review of Joshuas death and

determined that it met the standard for investigation because the review found that a
reviewable service, or the policies or practices of a public body or director, may have
contributed to the death and that the death was self-inflicted. The Representative began a
full investigation at that time.
The investigation examined Joshuas life from his birth in 1998 until his death in 2015.
A particular focus of the investigation was the final three-year period of Joshuas life, and
the services and supports that were available or not available to him and his family
during that time.
The Representative reviewed numerous documents from a variety of sources in the course
of the investigation, including records from police departments, schools, hospitals and
government ministries (see Appendix B). Forty-three recorded interviews were conducted
with family members, community professionals, hospital staff and government employees
(see Appendix C).
A preliminary report of the investigations findings was made to the Representatives

Multidisciplinary Team (see Appendix D). The team provided advice and guidance to the
Representative based on the members expert experience.
For the purpose of administrative fairness, those who provided evidence for this
investigation were given the opportunity to review a draft version of this report and to
provide feedback on the facts presented. Efforts have been made to anonymize this report
in order to respect the privacy of those involved.

Chronology
Chronology
1998 to 2002 Joshuas Early Childhood
Joshua was born in 1998 in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. His father is from
Europe and his mother was born in Canada but has lived in several other countries.
Joshuas parents met and married outside of Canada in 1996. When his mother became
pregnant, Joshuas parents relocated to the Cariboo region, where they settled into a small
apartment but had trouble finding work. With no family to provide social supports in
Canada, Joshuas parents struggled to cope with financial challenges and marital stress.
In 1999, Joshuas parents learned that they were expecting another child. Soon after
the birth of Joshuas brother, the marital discord between Joshuas parents increased. By
early 2000, Joshuas father had moved out of the family home. In March 2000, Joshuas
parents filed a joint separation agreement giving Joshuas mother sole custody and
guardianship of both boys with his father having reasonable and generous access.
Shortly after Joshuas second birthday, his mother attended her local MCFD office to
request support as a single mother of two young children. The ministrys response was to
suggest that Joshuas father could help more with the children, to offer a referral to Joshuas
mother for counselling and to make a referral to daycare for the children. During this
time, Joshuas mother was experiencing depression and she sought help through doctors
and counsellors in her community. In her recollection of this time, Joshuas mother felt she
received no support as an individual or as a mother of two young children.
In September 2000, a local womens resource centre called MCFD to report that
Joshuas mother was requesting help with her children to cover times when Joshuas
father could not provide care. MCFD advised the centre that it was the parents
responsibility to arrange for child care and to call MCFD again if the children were
not being cared for adequately.
That same month, Joshuas mother called Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) to
request services for two-year-old Joshua.2 She was concerned with his behaviours, which
included hitting himself and banging his head on walls when he was upset. A CYMH
worker advised that Joshuas mother should call again if the behaviours persisted. CYMH
did not complete a formal intake and Joshuas mother did not call back. Meanwhile,
Joshuas mother continued to struggle with depression, economic challenges, social
isolation and a fractured relationship with her ex-husband.
In the summer of 2002 when Joshua was four, his mother moved to a suburban Lower
Mainland community with both children in order to pursue further education and a
career that would allow for more financial stability. The family lived out of their car and
CYMH is a part of MCFD and offers free, voluntary mental health services to infants, children and
2
youth who are experiencing mental health challenges.

Chronology
stayed with various acquaintances for a month before finding a place to live. Joshuas
father, who remained in the Cariboo region, was upset by the move as he did not want
to be separated from the boys for long periods of time.
2003 to 2007 5- to 8-years-old, Joshuas

Early School Years
Joshua began attending Kindergarten at a local elementary school in the Lower Mainland
in September 2003. Shortly after, Joshuas father moved to the Lower Mainland to be
closer to the children. Although he initially resided with Joshuas mother and the boys, he
was in a relationship with another woman at the time. Due to discord between Joshuas
mother and father, Joshuas father and his girlfriend moved to another residence in the
Lower Mainland. Despite the conflict between Joshuas parents, they ensured that the
boys frequently saw their father.
Unfortunately, Joshuas father was unable to stay in the Lower Mainland as he could not
find work. In early 2004, he and his girlfriend returned to the Cariboo region. In their
interviews with RCY investigators, both parents remarked on the significant impact this
departure seemed to have on Joshua, who was in the back of the car, screaming, Dad,
dont go. Joshuas mother felt that, after this moment, Joshua seemed forever changed
and that he blamed her for his father leaving. Although Joshuas mother remained his
primary caregiver and was a single parent with no financial or emotional support, Joshua
continued to have summertime visits and weekly phone contact with his father for most
of his life.
In March 2004, a concerned neighbour called MCFD to report that the boys babysitter
left the children unsupervised for long periods of time in a basement that was unfit for
children. MCFD visited the babysitters home. The babysitter denied the report and
added that she had stopped watching the children two months earlier. The babysitter said
that Joshuas needs were too high and claimed that he required 24-hour supervision due
to incidents that included fire-setting, property destruction and harming animals. No
other person interviewed by RCY investigators substantiated the babysitters claims.
An MCFD social worker spoke to Joshuas mother, who said that she had used the
babysitter for two years. She did not report her own concerns about the treatment of
the boys to the social worker. In her interview with RCY investigators, however, Joshuas
mother explained that at this time she was attending school, very short on money and
desperate to find care for the children. She did not think this babysitter was ideal, but felt
she had no other choice. At that time, MCFD closed its file due to lack of evidence of
abuse or neglect.
Later in his life, Joshua reported substantial physical and emotional abuse by this
caregiver. He said that the caregiver left him alone, forced him to do labour, humiliated
him, and physically abused him by poking him with sewing needles.
In September 2005, at the age of seven, Joshua started Grade 2. Although he was
meeting the academic expectations for his age, his teachers had growing concerns

Chronology
with Joshuas social skills. His school principal at the time described Joshua to RCY
investigators as a quiet, bright boy who sometimes seemed to seethe with anger. When
triggered, he would physically lash out, shout, cry and swear. He would also bolt,
running away from the school grounds when upset.
In response to Joshuas behaviour, the school developed an Individual Education Plan

(IEP) (see text box) and brought in the school counsellor to work with him. Joshua had
a dedicated school team, including counsellors, administrators and behavioural support
workers. According to the principal, the school plan for Joshua at that time stated, If there
were outbursts to the extent that we were no longer in charge, that we couldnt control, then a
parent would be called and would have to come and pick up the child . . . We had to use that
quite often. Unfortunately, this placed Joshuas single, working mother who had no social
supports in a challenging situation that persisted throughout his early school years. She
was unable to repeatedly leave her workplace to pick up Joshua due to fear of losing the sole
source of income for her family, and she did not have anybody else to pick him up.
Individual Education Plan

IEPs are created for students with special needs in the B.C. school system if, in order to
meet learning outcomes, they:
require more than minor adaptation to their educational methods
are working on outcomes outside the prescribed curriculum or
receive more than 25 hours of remedial help during the school year from a person who is
not their classroom teacher.
IEPs are intended to document, summarize and record the students education program
with individual goals, means to achieve those goals and possible additional services. An
IEP may be accompanied by a Behavioural Plan of Intervention which is a document that
includes specific strategies to work with children to achieve school-based goals.3
In January 2006, Joshuas mother contacted the Child and Adolescent Program (CAP)
to request help and CAP promptly connected Joshua to a psychiatrist for assessment
and care. The psychiatrist evaluated seven-year-old Joshua and suggested that he showed
signs of oppositional defiant disorder, an adjustment disorder, and a possible underlying
dysthymic clinical depression.4 Although the school had wondered if Joshua was on
the autism spectrum, the psychiatrist found that he did not meet the criteria for that
diagnosis. The psychiatrist met with Joshua on a regular basis and asked that the school
counsellors keep working with him as well.
3
Ministry of Education, Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs: A Resource Guide
for Teachers (British Columbia, 2009).
4
Oppositional defiant disorder is a behavioural disorder diagnosis that involves patterns of disobedient
and defiant behaviour to authority figures. Adjustment disorder characterizes a group of symptoms that
occur in response to stress and that are stronger than may have been expected. It is now called stress
response syndrome. Dysthymia is a term used to refer to chronic, mild depression. Symptoms can
include gloominess, low self-esteem, low energy, social withdrawal and poor school performance.

Chronology
Later that month, the school called MCFD to report concerns for Joshua based on his
increasingly disruptive behaviours and his mothers struggle to meet his needs. The
school reported that his mother occasionally did not pick up Joshua when called, and
that she told the school she was breaking down, saying, I cant handle this, I dont know
what Im going to do. At this time, Joshuas mother
Child and Youth Mental Health was frustrated by what she saw as an ineffective
Services in Joshuas Region approach by the school to manage Joshuas
behaviours. MCFD filled out a referral for Joshuas
Until 2016, child and youth mental health mother to receive a family preservation worker and
services in Joshuas region were provided by two closed its file. For unknown reasons, Joshuas mother
different sources by MCFD through CYMH and did not connect with a family preservation worker at
by the local health authority, which operated that time.
programs, including the CAP program. CAP
offered mental health assessment and treatment By March 2006, Joshuas mother had been working
for children and youth experiencing behavioural, in her chosen field for two years, but she was still
emotional or social difficulties in both an office- struggling to meet the needs of her children. To
based and outreach capacity. give herself time to organize and plan for the future,
and for needed respite, she took Joshua and his
This was a fairly unique configuration of
little brother to another country to stay with their
community mental health services in the
aunt and grandparents who lived there. The boys
province. In order to prevent confusion with this
returned to their mother in Canada five months
two-stream system, CYMH and the local health
later, in August 2006. They resumed regular phone
authoritys child and youth mental health services
contact with their father.
often shared intake calls and divided them based
on a number of factors, including caseloads and Joshua began Grade 3 that September in the
previous involvement with a family. Since early same school that he had previously attended. He
2016, all child and youth mental health services continued with his IEP and regularly met with a
have been aligned with MCFD. CAP counsellor outside of school. Joshuas mother
worked closely with this counsellor, reporting
concerning incidents and arranging for Joshua to maintain contact with the counsellor.
She expressed a desire to receive whatever supports were available for her family.
Joshuas CAP psychiatrist repeatedly suggested that his mother consider medications
for Joshuas anxiety and aggression, but Joshuas mother was not comfortable with the
medications proposed and no alternative medications were suggested.

Chronology
In early 2007, noting their inability to

The Social Responsibility Support Program meet Joshuas needs, his school team
connected with both his CAP psychiatrist
The SRSP is an elementary school behavioural support and counsellor, who acknowledged that
program offered in Joshuas region that is intended to Joshua would need intensive aid in school
target the complex individual needs of children exhibiting and recommended that he join the Social
mental health distress or behavioural difficulties while Responsibility Support Program (SRSP).
keeping them enrolled in their mainstream school and He was placed on a wait list and joined the
attached to their community. The children spend half their program by April 2007.
day in SRSP working on skill-building and the other half
in their class. This program is a joint project between the Both the school and the CAP employees at
local health authority, MCFD and the school district. this time recognized that Joshua was able to
talk about strategies to manage his feelings
but did not seem to be able to apply them. He was noted to be obsessive and self-critical,
expecting perfection in his own work and exploding when he felt those expectations were
not met. The school continued to deal with Joshuas major outbursts by sending him
home, increasing the already significant stress on his mother.
2007 to 2011 8- to 13-years-old, Multiple Concerns

Reported to MCFD about the Familys Need for Support
From March 2007 to January 2010, MCFD received six calls regarding the familys need
for support services. The first call in March 2007 was made by the school, reporting
that Joshua demonstrated severe aggression and that his mother said she could not do
anything about it. This file remained open for more than a year while MCFD provided
family preservation services to Joshuas family.
School and mental health professionals working with Joshua during these years described
him as emotional, socially awkward and reserved, with a kind heart. One school
professional recalled eight-year-old Joshua frequently speaking of death, making statements
such as, I want to die . . . nobody cares, nothing can be done. At this time, Joshua was still
frequently engaging with mental health professionals through CAP. They noted that his
behaviours appeared to deteriorate significantly in times when he felt abandoned.
In response to the call made to MCFD in March 2007, Joshuas mother began accessing
a family preservation worker. The worker met with Joshuas mother for two hours a week
for several months. At this time, the family preservation worker focused on providing
Joshuas mother with emotional support, suggesting parenting tools and connecting her
to community supports.
In June 2007, the school made another call to MCFD. In this instance, the school had
suspended Joshua and, when his mother arrived to pick him up, she physically dragged
him out of the school. The school also contacted the CAP professionals working with
Joshua to discuss what had happened. This call was assigned to the social worker who had
been responsible for the familys file since March 2007 and was dealt with in conjunction
with the already open family file.

Chronology
The following month, MCFD received another call regarding Joshua after he disclosed
to a service provider that his mother had physically punished him. MCFD opened an
investigation into the report and found that the mother had at times used physical force
to punish Joshua. Joshuas mother openly discussed the issue with MCFD, admitting
that she was experiencing extreme stress and was open to any supports for her family. In
response, MCFD liaised with the family preservation worker and assisted in connecting
the family with more community services, including accessing a new daycare, referring
the family to Big Brothers and connecting the mother with community support groups.
The social worker left the familys MCFD file open to monitor their safety and well-
being, and extended the contract for the family preservation worker.
At the end of July 2007, after several years of separation, the divorce order for Joshuas
parents went through. In a joint filing agreed upon by both parents, the order reiterated
the 2000 separation agreement, stating that Joshuas mother had sole custody and
guardianship of the boys with their father having reasonable access to them.
In September 2007, Joshua began Grade 4 and his mother enrolled him and his younger
brother in a new school. She did not feel that the previous school had adequately
supported her family and was frustrated with the schools behavioural management
strategy of demanding that she pick up her children during the work day. Despite the
change in schools, Joshua continued in the SRSP program and with his weekly CAP
counselling sessions. Joshuas academic scores remained high, but he continued to show
significant social challenges which included strong fixations on individual children with
occasionally violent reactions when those children wanted to play with others.
By the end of 2007, the school, the SRSP program and the CAP program noted that
Joshua seemed to be showing progress. Joshua had completed the SRSP program and
transitioned back to the regular classroom full-time. His CAP counsellor had a final
session with Joshua in December 2007. A couple of months later, Joshuas mother
seemed to be doing very well, so both MCFD and the family preservation worker closed
their files.
Several months later, in July 2008, MCFD received the fourth call about Joshuas family
during this time period from an after-school care provider who was concerned that
Joshua had told her that he wanted to kill himself. Joshua had just turned 10. When
the social worker called Joshuas mother a few days later, she was impressed to hear
that Joshuas mother had already called CAP to have them renew counselling services.
Joshuas mother asked MCFD to keep the file open for a few months in case she needed
assistance. The CAP psychiatrist who had worked with Joshua saw him promptly in a
session with Joshua and his father, who had come down to visit.
MCFD received a fifth call in October 2008. A school employee reported that Joshua
continued to have constant challenges in the school and that he had disclosed physical
punishment by his mother. When interviewed by MCFD, their mother admitted to
physically punishing Joshua on two occasions and again said that she was open to any
support that could be offered. MCFD made another referral to the family preservation
worker with whom the mother had previously worked, as the mother felt they had a

Chronology
strong connection. The family preservation worker worked with the family again until
September 2009 and sent frequent positive progress reports to the assigned social worker.
During this time, the school noted improvements in Joshuas behaviours. He showed
more self-regulation with fewer incidents of physical aggression or emotional outbursts.
With positive reports on the familys functioning from the school, CAP program and
family preservation worker, MCFD closed its file on the family in May 2009. That same
month, CAP services ended again.
MCFD received a sixth call for support for Joshuas family in January 2010. A community
daycare agency called to report that 11-year-old Joshua had concerning emotional outbursts
and, after an incident at its facility, Joshua wrote an apology letter saying that he felt
worthless and had tried to kill himself. The community agency employee felt that the
family needed more support. Unfortunately, this request for service was not followed up on
by MCFD until April 2011, one year and four months later. A social worker who was at
the MCFD office at the time explained to RCY investigators that the office was chronically
understaffed and had a very large list of incomplete cases.
Both the school and Joshuas mother contacted CYMH to request services for Joshua in
January 2010. CYMH referred Joshua to a group for children with anxiety, although it
does not appear Joshua was assessed prior to this referral, and placed him on a wait list to
receive CYMH services.
In May 2010, while still waiting for CYMH services, his mother brought Joshua to
a clinic to see a doctor due to her concerns that he was depressed. The doctors notes
from this visit indicate that Joshuas mother was going to follow up with the school
and try to continue with counselling. It is unclear if the doctor concurred that Joshua
was depressed. At this time, Joshuas mother also reached out to her previous family
preservation worker for short-term assistance.
That summer, Joshua and his father had a disagreement while Joshua was visiting. When
Joshuas mother heard about what had happened, she contacted her family preservation
worker who advised that, as Joshua was with his father, his mother should let them solve
the problem. Joshua refused to visit his father for two years after the disagreement.
In October 2010, 10 months after the referral, a CYMH clinician contacted Joshuas
family. RCY investigators found no reason why Joshua waited this long given his
obvious need for mental health services at this time. Over the following few months,
the clinician saw Joshua four times. The clinician noted that Joshua would not discuss
things with her, so she mainly worked on building rapport. In December 2010, after
Joshua missed an appointment and Joshuas mother did not return several phone calls,
the CYMH clinician sent Joshuas mother a letter advising that she would be closing the
file if Joshuas mother did not contact her. Joshuas mother responded with a request that
CYMH keep the file open and said she would connect with CYMH in January.
In January 2011, the CYMH clinician called Joshuas mother to follow up on his need
for counselling. The CYMH clinician recommended that his mother bring Joshua in for
an appointment, but Joshuas mother said that instead she would monitor his behaviours

Chronology
and would call if she needed support. She did not call the clinician again, nor did she
return the CYMH clinicians follow-up phone calls or messages. As a result, the CYMH
file was closed in March 2011. Joshuas mother explained to RCY investigators that
Joshua refused to leave the house to go to CYMH appointments and she could not
physically force him to go, so she did not respond to CYMHs messages.
In April 2011, an MCFD social worker was finally assigned to the January 2010 call for
support for Joshuas family. The social worker called Joshuas mother, who said things
were now going well, that she did not require MCFD involvement and that she would
connect with community support services if she required help. Since Joshuas mother
declined the offer of support, MCFD closed the family service file.
Meanwhile, Joshuas school attendance and performance were in decline. When asked
to complete assignments, he obsessively worked on them until he declared that he
hated them and either ripped them up or started again. He began withdrawing from
school, locking himself in his room and playing online computer games for hours.
Despite this deterioration, Joshua completed Grade 7 and was enrolled in Grade 8 at
the local high school.
2012 to 2014 13- to 15-years-old, Joshua Withdraws

from School
Joshuas first semester in Grade 8 appeared to go well. However, in January 2012, at the
age of 13, he refused to return to school. His mother called the school counsellor to let
him know that she did not know what had happened or why, but that Joshua would not
attend. The school team responded by referring Joshua to a program within the school
that worked with children coming in from elementary school to resource, adapt and
accommodate the school program to meet childrens needs without transferring them.
According to interviews with school employees conducted by RCY investigators, both

the school and Joshuas mother tried continuously to get Joshua to return to school.
He refused. The school counsellor, teachers, youth engagement workers and the school
principal all visited Joshuas home multiple times to try to convince him to return, but
he would not. At times, he would lock himself in his room and would not even permit
the school employees to see him. Other times, Joshua seemed well and would commit to
coming back to school but, when the day came, he would not attend.
The school reached out to CYMH to request engagement from its urgent response
team. The schools referral highlighted Joshuas depressed mood and isolation. It noted
that Joshua locked himself in his room for days at a time and had not left his home
for weeks. The assigned CYMH clinician went to school planning meetings and also
visited Joshuas residence, but was unable to successfully engage with Joshua. After
six months, he sent a letter to Joshuas mother, who had not returned his calls for two
months. The letter informed Joshuas mother that CYMH would be closing Joshuas
file, but that it would be re-opened if Joshua or his mother contacted CYMH. Joshuas
mother informed RCY investigators that she did not recall receiving messages from

Chronology
CYMH, and that she believed it was possible that Joshua deleted them while she was
at work and he was home alone.
By May 2012, Joshua still refused to attend school, so the school referred him to the
district resource team, a higher level of response within the school district for students
experiencing difficulties. The school team noted that all of its attempts to reconnect
with Joshua had been unsuccessful and that he refused all counselling and support
services. The district resource team recommended that Joshua stay in his current school
with at-home academic support and that the school counsellor and case manager keep
encouraging his re-entry. The team also suggested that Joshuas mom consider trying to
have Joshua hospitalized under the Mental Health Act (MH Act). According to school
employees, Joshuas mother constantly wrestled with the idea of calling the police [to
apprehend Joshua under the MH Act], but she figured if she did she would forever damage
her relationship with Joshua. Joshuas mother feared that she was one of Joshuas only
consistent relationships and she did not want to destroy his trust. She shared this
perspective with Joshuas school counsellor and felt that he agreed with her decision.
The Mental Health Act (MH Act)

The MH Act is the legislation that provides for the treatment and protection of people
with severe mental illness in B.C. Under the Act, a person may be admitted to a designated
treatment facility (such as a hospital) voluntarily or involuntarily. A person may be
apprehended by police and taken to hospital involuntarily under Section 28 of the MH Act
if the person is acting in a manner likely to endanger their own safety or the safety of
others and appears to have a mental disorder.
Once apprehended, the person can be detained and treated at a hospital for 48 hours. This
time limit can be extended if two physicians examine the person and both fill out medical
certificates stating the reasons they believe the person has a mental disorder, requires
treatment, cannot suitably be admitted voluntarily and requires care, supervision and
control in or through a designated facility to prevent the persons or patients substantial
mental or physical deterioration or for the protection of the person or patient or the
protection of others. 5
Teachers from his school continued to visit Joshuas home and bring him schoolwork,
which he would occasionally complete. His mother felt hopeless and unable to manage
the situation as she believed she had tried everything she could to get help for Joshua.
Exhausted with the continuous conflict and wanting to preserve her family to the best
of her ability, Joshuas mother told RCY investigators that she just stopped fighting. She
chose to stop having constant disagreements with Joshua that did not lead to any change
in his behaviours, and instead to use a new tactic of communicating but not trying to
force Joshua to do what he did not want to do. Joshua was 14-years-old.
Province of British Columbia, Mental Health Act (Victoria: Queens Printer, 1996).
5

Chronology
In September 2012, Joshua was enrolled in Grade 9 at the same high school. Frequent
planning meetings continued at the school level to try to find ways to engage with
Joshua, and teachers and counsellors kept calling and visiting his house. His school
evaluation from this time states, Student is resiliently entrenched in school refusal. Will
not meet with any school personnel either in [school], at home or in another setting.
By October 2012, the school counsellor and principal were out of ideas about how to
help Joshua. They went back to the district resource team and received approval to have
Joshua transferred to an alternative school in a therapeutic day program. Joshua did not
attend school for the remainder of his Grade 9 year.
In September 2013, Joshua, now 15, attended the first few weeks at his alternative
school. This school had a wide variety of support services available to the youth who
attended, with programs tailored to accommodate the needs of individual students.
School employees observed that Joshua was sweet, but introverted and quiet, with very
few friends.
After approximately two weeks, Joshua was once again ensconced in his house, unable to
leave. The alternative school staff continued to try outreach support for Joshua, but he
repeatedly told them to leave him alone. Staff described Joshuas mother at this time as
wanting to make things better, but also realistic about her own limitations as a working
single mother with another child. She would tell the school, I know I should get him to a
counsellor but he is refusing to leave and Im not going to drag him. Neither Joshuas mother
nor the school team knew how to help him at this time.
2014 to March 2015 Joshuas Isolation Persists,

Self-Harming Begins
In August 2014, Joshua, now 16, developed intense feelings for an adult woman from
Texas whom he met online. The extent and nature of this relationship remains unclear
to this day. Although he referred to her as his girlfriend, they never met in person
and Joshua would also occasionally say that they were not actually in a relationship.
Regardless, Joshua reported to his friends and later to professionals engaged in his care
that he had fallen deeply, obsessively in love with this woman.
In September 2014, Joshua informed his mother that he wanted to go back to school, so
she called the school and brought him in for his first day. The school team was hopeful as
Joshua had organized his own intake and started off with strong attendance. The school
team tried to support him without drawing too much attention to his presence, as they
feared triggering his anxiety and causing him to withdraw again. The next month, his
online relationship broke down and Joshua stopped attending school once again.
At the end of November 2014, Joshua sent messages to two acquaintances to inform
them that he was planning on dying by suicide to leave the pain behind. Police visited
Joshuas residence, where he admitted that he had been thinking of suicide for years and
had begun harming himself by hitting his own body and cutting his arms. The police
apprehended Joshua under the MH Act and brought him to the nearest hospital.

Chronology
The consulting psychiatrist who examined him believed that Joshua presented
with symptoms of chronic depression and anxiety and required ongoing care in his
community for his symptoms. He noted, I do not feel that [Joshua] is at imminent risk
of harm to self, although he remains a chronic risk given the chronic nature of his self-harm
behaviour and suicidality. The psychiatrist met with Joshuas mother and explained that
he would put in a referral for CYMH services for Joshua. Joshua was discharged from
hospital that same day. At that time, CYMH had a liaison to the hospital that Joshua had
attended. The liaison called Joshua twice in the first week of December. Joshua advised
that he did not need services, so the CYMH liaison concluded the referral. The liaison
did not communicate with Joshuas mother about this decision, or about the support
Joshua would need from her at home.
Chronic vs. Imminent Risk of Suicide

Doctors and other mental health professionals assess a persons risk for suicide on a
continuum of acuity based on risk and intent to commit suicide.6 Chronic risk refers to
the ongoing likelihood of a future attempt of suicide and is based on numerous factors
including background (such as previous suicide attempts), protective factors (such as social
supports) and current risk factors (such as a relationship breakdown). An imminent risk of
suicide refers to frequent and intense suicidal ideation with specific plans and clear intent.7
A person with a baseline of a high chronic risk of suicide may fluctuate in the acuity of
their risk from minimal through to imminent risk, but, for a chronically suicidal patient, it
is likely that the suicidal belief system will still be active, even during periods of . . . relative
behavioural stability. 8 For hospitals to hold a person under the MH Act, the assessing
doctors must feel the person is at an imminent risk of harming themselves or others, or of
significant deterioration to their condition were they to be released without medical care.
Joshua attended school sporadically every few weeks after December 2014. The school
team recognized that Joshua was in a negative spiral and nobody knew what to do.
On Feb. 20, 2015, Joshua was hospitalized for a second time. Joshua had not heard from
the woman from Texas in almost four months, but she messaged him in early February
after he threatened to harm himself. The relationship quickly broke down again. Joshua
informed a friend and the woman from Texas that he was going to kill himself and his
friend reported the threat to the police. Joshua walked more than 15 kilometres to a park
with a rope and razor blades before being located by police and apprehended once again
under the MH Act. The police took him to the same local hospital that he had visited
three months earlier.
6
Used in a medical sense, acuity refers to the acuteness, or level of severity, of an illness when doctors
classify a patients presentation.
7
Suicidal ideation means thinking about suicide.
8
M.D. Rudd, Fluid Vulnerability Theory: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding the Process of
Acute and Chronic Suicide Risk, in Cognition and Suicide: Theory, Research, and Therapy, ed. T.E. Ellis
(American Psychological Association, 2006), 365.

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This time, instead of being immediately released, Joshua was involuntarily certified under
the MH Act. Joshua, now 16, was admitted to the hospitals secure adult psychiatric unit,
as the hospital did not have a secure child and youth psychiatric unit. Joshua had ongoing
suicidal ideation and was considered by doctors to be at a high risk for another attempt.
During his time in the hospital, Joshuas mood seemed to improve and he began denying
having any suicidal ideation. Although the hospital team no longer felt he needed to
be certified under the MH Act for his immediate safety, his doctors there believed that
he would need considerable outpatient care. Joshua was released from the hospital on
March2, 2015. He was diagnosed with major depressive disorder.
Joshua returned to his mother, to be followed by the

The Acute Home Based Acute Home Based Treatment Program (AHBT) and
Treatment Program (AHBT) then by CYMH in the community after the AHBT
program was complete. Joshuas mother called the
This program, offered through the local CYMH liaison responsible for this referral multiple
health authority, provides an out-of- times and left messages, but never received any response.
hospital care option for people over the age However, the hospital liaison did not have a record of
of 17 who have experienced a worsening receiving those messages. Again, his mother felt that
of symptoms or distress from mental illness she received insufficient guidance and support from
and/or substance use. The AHBT has a the hospital team or the AHBT about the care and
short-term role with clients to ensure that supervision Joshua would need when he was released
they are not an acute risk to themselves or back to her.
others once released from hospital. Clients
must be referred by medical professionals. The AHBT nurse received the referral for Joshua on
The AHBT team includes a psychiatrist and the day of his release. Although the AHBT service
nurses. The team visits homes to monitor is primarily for adults, at this time the program also
symptoms and medications and works to occasionally covered the gap in services between hospital
bridge possible gaps between hospital and release and CYMH intake for youth so that they would
community services. have continuous care. The team, including nurses and a
psychiatrist, met Joshua almost daily both at home and
at the hospital. Joshua reported an ongoing low mood and passive suicidal ideation, with
no stated plan to attempt suicide. He told the AHBT that he did not want his mother
involved in his care in any way and continued to isolate himself at home. The AHBT
noted that Joshua expressed interest in getting a specific counsellor as soon as possible. In
response, the nurse called and left a message for the hospitals CYMH liaison to contact
Joshua as soon as possible.
On March 13, 2015, the AHBT nurse discharged him with the understanding that he
would be followed by a CYMH team, as organized by the hospitals CYMH liaison. The
AHBT psychiatrist felt that Joshua was at his lowest possible risk of self-harm. Joshuas
risk was always elevated compared to the general population, but at this time, the AHBT
psychiatrist did not believe that Joshua needed the high level of emergency service
available from AHBT. The AHBT nurse followed up with the hospital CYMH liaison,
who contacted Joshua three days later and set up a follow-up appointment for March 19.

Chronology
March 2015 Joshua is certified under the MH Act a

Second Time and His Mother Contacts MCFD for Help
On March 17, 2015, a week after his discharge from the AHBT, Joshua attempted
suicide. He left his residence, telling his mother that he was going to a store. He then
messaged a friend and the woman from Texas to let them know he was in the woods
and was going to kill himself. Joshuas friend called the police, who promptly contacted
Search and Rescue to assist in finding Joshua.
After two days of searching, Search and Rescue gained the cooperation of the woman
from Texas and she forwarded them a file Joshua had sent her that she had been unable
to open on her phone. The file held the coordinates to Joshuas location. Search and
Rescue found him on March 19. He had taken a potentially lethal dose of prescription
pills along with drinking two bottles of schnapps. He had hypothermia and wounds
from self-harm. He was severely dehydrated and had to be flown out of his isolated forest
location by helicopter.
For the third time since November 2014, Joshua was admitted to the same local
hospital, where he was involuntarily certified under the MH Act for his acute risk of
suicide. He was again placed on the adult psychiatric unit for treatment. His mother
promptly called the hospital and advocated for them to keep Joshua longer this time
for treatment and stabilization.
On March 20, Joshuas mother called MCFD asking for help. She let them know that
Joshua was at the hospital for ongoing depression and suicidality. She asked MCFD to
provide a transitional home for Joshua upon release. In explaining the situation to RCY
investigators, Joshuas mother said that, as a single mother, she knew that she needed
more support and could not provide the care Joshua required. No action was taken by
MCFD on the call until a month later when a hospital social worker called MCFD again
to request that the ministry get involved with the case.
Realizing that Joshua would require a longer stay in hospital for treatment, the local
hospital worked to have him transferred to BC Childrens Hospital (BCCH), which has
more resources for intensive work with children and youth experiencing acute mental
illness and distress. Joshua was transferred to BCCH on March 22, 2015.
Late March 2015 Joshuas Admission to BCCH

When Joshua was admitted to BCCH, a psychiatrist there assessed him and found
that he remained at a chronic, severe and occasionally imminent risk of suicide. The
psychiatrist felt there was significant risk of deterioration if he was discharged before
receiving further inpatient treatment.
The BCCH medical team worked on a treatment plan to keep Joshua safe and ultimately
reduce his risk of suicide by addressing the stressors that contributed to his suicidality,
including his depression, his rigid and rule-bound behaviour, his early childhood
trauma and his social challenges. They hoped to enable him to safely return to his home

Chronology
community. The plan included forming a care team of skilled professionals to work
with Joshua and build a therapeutic relationship with him. It also included counselling,
medication changes, engagement in the hospitals school program and connecting Joshua
to community support services.
When speaking to psychiatrists at BCCH in his first month there, Joshua fixated on his
relationship with the woman from Texas. He disclosed a lack of interest in anything other
than her and playing video games for approximately 12 hours a day. While in hospital,
he was self-harming by punching himself and continued to express that he was going to
kill himself no matter what they did. The psychiatrists found him to be at a continuous
high risk for suicide, but noted that he also seemed to use expressions of suicidality as a
means to manipulate staff members. For example, he often threatened to kill himself if
he could not contact the woman in Texas.
The BCCH social worker assigned to work with Joshua and his family began
communicating with Joshuas mother to assess her needs and to help coordinate
community supports for Joshuas eventual discharge. Her impression of Joshuas mother
was that she was overwhelmed, but very committed to Joshua.
Joshuas overall well-being while in hospital did not appear to be improving despite ongoing
work by his team. He frequently talked about his anxiety, his plan to kill himself upon
discharge and his constant agony for the woman from Texas. His mother and brother
regularly came to the unit to visit Joshua, although Joshua often refused to see them.
April 2015 BCCH brings MCFD into the Planning Process

At the beginning of April 2015, Joshuas doctors at
Hospital Passes BCCH began allowing him to leave the hospital on
limited passes with his mother, including overnight
Passes form an essential part of inpatient weekend passes. They continued to try different
mental health treatment and recovery planning, amounts of medications to alleviate Joshuas
helping patients work toward discharge from chronic depression.
hospital by practising their skills, increasing their
independence and increasing their connection As standard medical procedure dictates, patient
to their community. Types of passes include discharge planning for youth begins as soon as
unescorted or escorted passes on hospital grounds they enter the hospital. As part of her role in the
for fresh air breaks, and escorted passes out of planning process, the BCCH social worker tried
hospital including day passes, overnight passes or to connect with the North Shore Intensive Youth
weekend passes. Doctors order passes for patients, Outreach Services (iYos) team to have that team
and passes can be held or withdrawn if risk of form a relationship with Joshua so that his eventual
harm to the patient increases. Prior to leaving transition to community care would go smoothly.
the unit, staff members administer a pass safety The social worker experienced considerable
assessment and plan with the patient. Nurses are frustration in trying to reach the responsible
able to cancel passes or call doctors for a second iYos clinician. The team had just formed and the
opinion if they are uncomfortable with the pass at clinicians phone line was not working. The clinician
any given time. told RCY investigators that he did not receive any of
the BCCH social workers messages for some time.

Chronology
BCCH also liaised with Joshuas former school to plan

Intensive Youth Outreach Services for his academic needs in hospital and post-discharge.
The health authoritys child and youth It was apparent to Joshuas BCCH care team that it
mental health services in Joshuas area would need extensive involvement from community
began offering iYos in April 2015. iYos support services, including MCFD, to plan for Joshuas
provides outreach workers to support youth eventual discharge. On April 23, 2015, the BCCH
in the Lower Mainland experiencing acute social worker called MCFD, requesting that the
mood or behavioural disturbances which ministry become involved in the file. She informed
may include suicidal ideation, moderate to MCFD that Joshuas mother was overwhelmed,
severe substance use with or without mental needed support and did not have the ability to meet
illness and functional challenges as well Joshuas needs at home. The BCCH social worker
as difficulties accessing services. This team asked MCFD to send a social worker to the hospital
often follows up with youth when they are to discuss possible placement options for Joshua. She
discharged from hospitals after a mental was informed that MCFD would not bring Joshua
health crisis. into care at that time as there did not appear to be any
protection concerns, and that MCFD would look into
supports for Joshuas mother.
After further calls from the BCCH social worker, the intake MCFD social worker
consulted her team leader and they decided to initiate a family development response to
assess Joshuas mothers ability to care for Joshua given his high needs arising from his
mental illness.
The Child, Family and Community Service Act (CFCS Act) and
Family Development Responses
The CFCS Act provides the legal guidelines for ensuring the safety and well-being of
children in B.C. Section 13 of the Act outlines when a child is considered in need of
protection, including if a child is emotionally or physically harmed by their parent, or if
a parent is unable or unwilling to care for their child and has not provided otherwise for
the childs care. Any person in B.C. who believes a child needs protection under s. 13 has
a duty to report those concerns to MCFD which, in turn, must assess the information in
that report.
One possible response to a report made under s. 13 of the Act is for MCFDs social workers
to conduct a family development response. This response is used as an alternative to a child
protection investigation if the report does not involve severe abuse and if the parent is
willing and able to collaborate with MCFD. A family development response includes an in-
depth assessment phase and a possible protection services phase to provide monitoring and
supports to families in need. These supports may include counselling, family preservation
workers, care agreements or mediation.

Chronology
May to June 2015 Strained Communication between

BCCH and MCFD; Joshua Remains in Hospital
At the beginning of May 2015, MCFD assigned a social worker to begin working with
Joshua and his family and to initiate the family development response. He introduced
himself to the BCCH social worker, who asked him to come to the hospital to meet with
Joshuas care team and join in planning for Joshuas care.
In their initial discussions about Joshua, BCCH staff felt they were being clear to
MCFD that Joshuas mother was unable to care for Joshua and that he would need to
be discharged to MCFD for a placement. The MCFD team felt that the hospital was
telling it to do something outside the scope of its mandate, as it had to first assess the
family and Joshua to determine what they wanted and needed a process that MCFD
policy allots 30 days to complete. MCFD could not simply force a placement on Joshuas
family because the hospital told it to do so. Members of the BCCH team quickly
grew frustrated with what they perceived as inaction by MCFD and the MCFD team
members began regularly consulting with each other about how to handle the situation.
The MCFD team leader directed the MCFD social worker to offer supports to Joshuas
mother and to continue doing his assessment of the family. The MCFD supervisors
encouraged the teams social worker to get to know Joshua and find out if he would stay
in a resource, and to connect with CYMH to gauge its involvement.
The MCFD social worker visited Joshuas home and met with his mother and brother.
The ministry worker also began taking part in BCCHs weekly planning meetings for
Joshua, and coming to the hospital to meet with Joshua every week in order to build a
relationship with him.
Meanwhile, Joshua continued to express suicidal ideation and had escalating periods
of self-harm, including punching himself, restricting his food and holding his hands
under hot water until he burned himself. MCFD notes on May 8, 2015 indicate that
It appears that Joshua is very high risk for suicide and that although [his mother] means
well she is not able to meet his needs. MCFD was still assessing the familys capacity
during this period.
The hospital team noted Joshuas pervasive hopelessness and suicidal ideation, including
a recent incident in the hospital unit when he had been found with a bag and a bedsheet
over his head. The team began discussing the possibility of electroconvulsive therapy
(ECT) with Joshua and his mother. Joshua often refused treatment from the hospital.
He disclosed that he did not want to have ECT because it may be effective and he did
not want to get better. Joshuas diary from this time included his step-by-step plan to get
out of the hospital so that he could end his life. At the same time, he wrote of his desire
to help others, stating, If I ever get better, Ill dedicate my life to helping people like me.
Eventually, Joshua agreed to ECT in order to show the woman from Texas that he was
trying to get better for her sake.

Chronology
Electroconvulsive Therapy
ECT is a procedure done under general anesthesia that may be used to treat certain mental
illnesses, including major depressive disorder. It involves an electrical current passed
through the brain to trigger a brief seizure. ECT has been shown to be effective in the
short-term for patients, including those diagnosed as treatment-resistant, and to lead to
a possible 80 per cent decrease in suicidal ideation.9
By the end of May, recognizing the complexity of Joshuas case, MCFD asked its regional
CYMH consultant to take part in the BCCH case conferences. Joshua now had a large
team of BCCH professionals, MCFD professionals, his mother and the iYos clinician
meeting weekly to collaborate and plan for his ongoing care and eventual discharge from
the hospital.
Although the MCFD team was aware that the hospital wanted Joshua placed in care, it
remained focused on assessing his and his familys needs. MCFD believed that Joshua
remained at far too high a risk for self-harm to be released from hospital and felt there
was time to develop an appropriate plan. MCFD believed its primary role at this time
was to build a strong relationship with Joshua so that Joshua would cooperate with the
discharge plan. When the MCFD social worker tried to discuss post-hospital planning
with Joshua during their weekly meetings, Joshua said there was no point in doing so
because he intended to end his life as soon as he was able.
In early June 2015, Joshua began his ECT treatment. Weekly planning meetings
continued, as did Joshuas regular passes outside of the hospital to be with his mother,
his MCFD social worker and his iYos clinician. Although Joshua reported that the
ECT treatment was not helping, his BCCH psychiatrists and nursing staff recognized
an improvement in Joshuas depression throughout the month. He was still fixated on
suicide and the woman from Texas, but began postponing his suicide plans and setting
goals for the future. His mother bought him a guitar after he decided he wanted to learn
to play one and he started participating more in the hospitals school program.
Still looking for a comprehensive discharge plan for Joshua, his BCCH team worked to
get Joshua to agree to attend a voluntary day program for youth with mental illness once
he returned to his community. If he agreed, they planned to place him on the wait list for
that service. He did not agree. His main BCCH psychiatrist also referred Joshua to the
BCCH dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) program for treatment of what she believed
was an emerging borderline personality disorder, in addition to his already-diagnosed
Felix Izci et al., Impacts of the Duration and Number of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Sessions
9
on Clinical Course and Treatment of the Patients with Major Depressive Disorder, Journal of Mood
Disorders 6(3) (2016): 99-106.

Chronology
major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder and chronic high risk of suicide.10 Joshua
was not accepted into the hospitals DBT program due to its lack of capacity to provide
the level of service he needed for the length of time he required.
Another psychiatrist who specializes in suicidality was asked to provide consultation on

Joshuas case. He found that Joshua showed strong indicators of obsessive compulsive
disorder and borderline personality traits, while also presenting with major depressive
disorder. He recommended working on Joshuas obsessive thoughts of the woman in
Texas through cognitive behavioural therapy and a change in medications.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

Dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) is a treatment method that may be used to treat
patients who show signs of borderline personality disorder. DBT proposes that emotion
dysregulation is the core dysregulation that drives the others . . . [leading] the individual to
depend on others to an unusual degree to help regulate his or her emotions. DBT treatment
is highly structured with multiple stages and a team approach, and it includes the
immediate, 24-hour availability of a skilled therapist for patients experiencing suicidal or
self-harm urges.11
DBT is an intensive therapeutic option for treating youth and adults who show signs of
borderline personality disorder. DBT can include multiple components (individual therapy,
multi-family skills training, family meetings and telephone coaching). DBT programs can
deliver all of the components, based on individualized treatment needs. The elements of
DBT draw from and overlap with other evidence-based approaches and DBT-informed
approaches may use elements of DBT to support clients with other needs who may benefit
from the DBT components. DBT is available through some CYMH offices, private counsellors
or hospitals, but there is inconsistent availability throughout the province. Even where
services exist, there can be waits for service and there is a need to improve timely and
equitable access to DBT interventions. Currently, full DBT programs are accessed in B.C.
primarily through privately funded treatment facilities, which can be prohibitively expensive
for most families and are often not covered by medical service plans.
10
Borderline Personality Disorder, Canadian Mental Health Association, https://www.cmha.bc.ca/
documents/borderline-personality-disorder-2/. Borderline personality disorder is a currently used
diagnosis with five groups of symptoms: unstable emotions (intense anger, extreme depression that is
usually in response to a stressful event, mood swings), unstable behaviour (acts on urges such as suicide,
self-harm or risky behaviours), unstable sense of identity (does not have a good idea of who they are
and how they feel about themselves, feeling empty), unstable relationships (hard time maintaining
relationships, doing anything they can to avoid abandonment, impulsively shifting how they see people),
and awareness problems (may feel emotions not based in reality, often in response to a stressful event).
Treatment for borderline personality disorder may include therapy, medication and self-help.
11
C.J. Robins et al., Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, in Handbook of Personality Disorders: Theory, Research,
and Treatment, ed. J. Livesley (New York: the Guildford Press, 2001), 437-459.

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Nearing Joshuas 17th birthday at the end of June, all of those involved in his care
noticed a marked improvement in his presentation. He seemed happy and energetic. His
psychiatrists focused on managing Joshuas chronic risk of suicide over time while slowly
giving him more freedom to help him build a life he felt was worth living outside of the
hospital. This included more freedom with passes outside of the hospital with family and
independent passes within the hospital to be in the courtyard on his own. Joshua spent
his birthday weekend with his mother and had his last conversation with his father on
the telephone. His MCFD social worker took him out for a birthday lunch of pizza and
Joshua informed him that he did not want to be in MCFDs care.
By the end of June 2015, BCCH psychiatrists began to express concerns that holding
Joshua in hospital was starting to increase his risk of suicide, making him feel hopeless
and frustrated about his situation. They believed that Joshuas depression had resolved,
although he remained at risk for suicide, and there was little more they could do for him
in the hospital setting. For many of the hospital experts involved, the goal was to balance
Joshuas need for secure treatment and support with allowing him to have what they
referred to as a life worth living, which is also a part of treatment for mental illness.
July 2015 Discharge Planning; Joshua Completes Suicide

In early July 2015, after the improvement of the final two weeks of June, BCCH
psychiatrists noticed that Joshua began reporting that his depression was getting worse
and worse, and that he wanted out of the hospital. He began self-harming again
after almost a month of being free from those behaviours. His previously successful
passes home with his family were now going poorly and Joshuas mother told his main
psychiatrist that she was very concerned that Joshua would be discharged to her home as
she could not care for him at his level of risk. She wanted clear information about what
MCFD could do to help her.
Joshuas BCCH team wanted a full review of Joshuas file with MCFD as the team
felt the prolonged hospital stay was contributing to Joshuas deterioration. The team
was concerned as MCFD had stated that Joshua was willing to return home and there
were no protection concerns, so it would not be offering Joshua a placement. An email
sent by the MCFD team leader to Joshuas MCFD team at this time confirms this
understanding, saying, We do need to be clear at this time, we are not planning to take
Joshua into care . . . Even if mother is wanting to sign a [Voluntary Care Agreement], given
that we have not identified protection concerns, a [Voluntary Care Agreement] is not on the
table. The MCFD manager was copied on the email.
Meanwhile, the MCFD social worker was still meeting Joshua regularly and consulting
with both his manager and his team leader regarding the situation and what MCFD
could actually offer the family. Unfortunately, the MCFD team did not contact Joshuas
father at any point during its assessment of the family to understand the fathers
willingness and ability to care for Joshua. Joshuas father informed RCY investigators
that, if asked, he would have been there for Joshua in any way he could in a heartbeat.

Chronology
On July 14, 2015, frustrated by what it perceived to be an ongoing lack of appropriate

action by MCFD to fulfill its part of discharge planning for Joshua, the BCCH care
team wrote a letter to MCFD. The letter stated, We do not believe Joshua will succeed out
of hospital without staffed supervision. We recommend that Joshua be placed in a supervised
home to decrease social isolation, increase problem-solving and interpersonal relationship skills,
increase community engagement, and assist in monitoring and managing Joshuas mental
health . . . while working towards a permanent return to his mothers home. They outlined
Joshuas ongoing, chronic risk of suicide and emphasized that his mother could not
provide the level of care he required.
The BCCH social worker discussed the impetus for this letter with RCY investigators,
saying, I think the hospital was feeling stuck . . . They felt like they were repeating themselves
. . . [MCFD] sounds like they were repeating themselves and no one was really moving
forward even though everyone had the same goal of how can we best support this family. The
intention of the letter was to clarify any miscommunication between BCCH and MCFD
and to make the recommendations and concerns of BCCH staff very clear to allow for
better collaboration between both sides.
The day after the letter was sent, Joshuas care team, including BCCH, MCFD and iYos,
held a conference to discuss its plan for Joshua. At this time, Joshuas mother stated to
all involved that she could not care for Joshua, given his needs. The professionals present
at the meeting appeared to reach a common understanding at this time of their roles,
abilities and responsibilities, and all began moving towards a concrete action plan for
transitioning Joshua back into the community. This included getting MCFD resource
social workers involved to look for placements for Joshua; connecting the family with a
family preservation worker to support Joshuas mother and help work towards eventual
reunification of the family; and having iYos and CYMH work together to provide Joshua
with a high level of community therapeutic support including twice-weekly visits with
iYos and work with a CYMH clinician trained in DBT.
Initially, MCFD hoped to place Joshua in an existing skilled resource home in his region,
but that plan fell through because another youth required the available bed before Joshua
was to be released, and because of concerns around the other youth in the home, given
Joshuas history of problematic female attachments. On July 22, 2015, the MCFD team
began searching for placements for Joshua outside of the Lower Mainland and discussing
the possibility of creating a specialized resource for Joshua given his level of need. The
next day, Joshua met with his MCFD social worker and, for the first time, Joshua said
that he would be willing to stay in a placement if he was taken into MCFDs care.
On July 29, BCCH hosted another case conference regarding planning for Joshuas
imminent discharge, with a date set for Aug. 13. MCFD confirmed that it was now in
the process of building a specialized placement for Joshua in the community and that,
while waiting for that to be completed, MCFD would ensure that Joshuas mother had
sufficient at-home supports to care for Joshua. The next night, Joshua went home to be
with his mother and brother on a pass but had to be brought back to the hospital early
when they grew concerned that he may harm himself because he stole his brothers

Chronology
knife. The BCCH nurses notes indicate that the hospital was not aware of this
concern.
On July 31, 2015, Joshua spent the day at the hospital. He met with his mother and
his main psychiatrist and was agitated, threatening suicide unless he was allowed to
communicate with a recently discharged female co-patient for whom he had developed
feelings. A couple of hours later, his mood appeared to have stabilized. He was socializing
with the nurses and his co-patients and was animated and appropriate. That evening,
he asked to go to the hospitals fenced courtyard, which can be seen from the windows
of the unit he lived on. Joshua was given an independent in-hospital pass, which was
issued in accordance with hospital policy and his doctors recommendations. When staff
returned to get him a half-hour later, he was gone. The BCCH nursing staff followed
procedure for missing patients, including calling the police, BCCH directors and
psychiatrists, Joshuas mother and the hospitals security staff.
Despite extensive searches, Joshua was not found until Aug. 4, 2015. He had left the
hospital courtyard and re-entered the hospital within a few minutes of beginning his
pass. He then walked out of the hospital through an unlocked door and, covering a
considerable distance, climbed the fence into the construction site located on hospital
grounds and jumped off a construction crane. He is believed to have died the night
he went missing but, as the base of the crane was below ground level and it was the
weekend, his body was not located until construction crews returned to work the
following week.
The coroner ruled Joshuas cause of death to be suicide. He was found to have elevated
levels of his prescribed medication in his system. There are competing explanations
for this level of medication, including that Joshua took additional doses of the
medications. If that was the case, it remains unknown how Joshua accessed the
additional medication. The Representative found no evidence to indicate that changes
are necessary to the current hospital pass system based on the evidence collected for
this specific investigation.
BCCH conducted an internal review of Joshuas death for the purpose of improving
hospital practices. Under s. 51 of the Evidence Act, these reviews are highly confidential.
The Representative requested access to this review, however BCCH was not legally able
to share the information with RCY. This is in accordance with s. 10(4)(b) of the RCY
Act, that expressly excludes access to information covered under s. 51 of the Evidence Act.

Analysis
Analysis
Preamble
Joshua had many strengths. He was intelligent, kind and had a desire to help other
people. He was also profoundly ill and, as a result, coped with chronic disordered moods,
obsessive tendencies and persistent suicidal ideation. The people in his life struggled
for many years to meet his needs. The Representative would like to acknowledge
Joshuas friends and family, who loved him and did the best they could to help him.
The Representative would also like to recognize the efforts of the multiple professionals
engaged with Joshua throughout his life, who showed commitment and creativity in
their attempts to provide services to meet his needs.
Joshua displayed signs of mental illness very early in his life. He was displaying symptoms
at the age of two and, by the age of eight, he frequently spoke of his desire to die. At
11-years-old, he attempted suicide for the first time. He was a child with complex needs,
and some of the responses to his behaviour by service providers over the years highlight
systemic concerns with the current child-serving system. These concerns include the
ongoing challenge of obtaining consistent and sustained mental health services over the
long term for children and youth with chronic and complex mental health problems, and
how the child-serving system as a whole responds to children and youth withdrawing
from school.
The pathways for families with children who need mental health services can be
prohibitively complex. In Joshuas case, he likely would have benefited from much earlier,
consistent and appropriate mental health interventions, beginning at age two when his
mother first sought help. His mother also appears to have been offered extremely limited
support by any service providers between 2011 and 2015 to increase her own capacity to
meet Joshuas considerable needs.
Of particular concern to the Representative is the lack of appropriate placement options for
children and youth in B.C. who have significant needs arising from mental illness. Joshua
was admitted to BCCH in March 2015, where he remained for 122 days, or approximately
four months, before completing suicide. Although a majority of the time Joshua spent in
hospital was for treatment, his release was delayed due to a
UN Convention on the Rights lack of concurrent discharge planning between MCFD and
of the Child Article 3: BCCH. In late April 2015, BCCH reached out to MCFD
as the hospital professionals felt that Joshuas mother could
In all actions concerning children, the best not meet Joshuas significant needs in her home. By the
interests of the child shall be a primary end of May 2015, Joshua had a large group of professionals
consideration. States shall ensure children collaboratively planning for his eventual discharge. The
are protected for their well-being, taking key challenge that Joshuas team of caregivers faced was
into account the rights and duties of those determining where Joshua could live after the hospital. The
legally responsible for the child. lack of available, appropriate, community-based residential
services unnecessarily prolonged Joshuas stay in hospital,

Analysis
which in turn may have contributed to

an overall decline in his well-being by After all this, I hope to God that the
July 2015. ministry does something and that
something changes because, if it prevents
The Representative cannot say that, had another family going through what Im
the identified gaps been filled, Joshua going through and I have changed as a
would still be alive today. However, the person, something died inside of me when
Representative hopes that the provincial Joshua died, and everyone can see it in
government, MCFD, and the other me. So if it helps, and something changes
involved service providers can learn and theres a positive outcome from all of
from what happened to Joshua and can this, then its worth it.
work toward trying to prevent similar
deaths in the future. Joshuas father
Findings
Lack of Appropriate Placement Options
Finding: MCFD missed an opportunity to develop an appropriate community transition
placement for Joshua earlier in his hospital stay by failing to adequately consider s. 13 of the
CFCS Act regarding parents who are unable to care for their children.12 The Representative
believes that the narrow interpretation of this section applied by the MCFD team working
with Joshua was totally inappropriate. Section 13 could have positively and proactively been
applied by MCFD to facilitate access to the services Joshua needed.13
The need to develop a customized community placement for Joshua through the CFCS
Act and the child welfare system was a result of the lack of a comprehensive system of
care for young people with complex mental health needs in B.C. As will be detailed,
there has for decades been a complete absence in B.C. of evidence-based step-down 14
community residential services that can take referrals from the inpatient units for
children or youth preparing to leave the hospital who require additional support before
returning to their families. Joshua needed the opportunity to stabilize in a structured
community residential setting that had appropriate clinical and social supports available.
12
Section 13 of the CFCS Act provides that, amongst other criteria, a child is in need of protection: if the
childs parent is unable or unwilling to care for the child and has not made adequate provision for a childs
care.
13
MCFDs Practice Guidelines for Using Structured Decision Making Tools further details how Joshuas
mothers ability to care for Joshua was a s. 13 child protection concern. Those tools provide an example
for assessing whether a parent is unable and unwilling and has not made adequate provisions to care for a
child who has attempted or is threatening suicide.
14
In this report, the term step-down refers to a complete system of community-based residential
treatment options for children and youth experiencing mental illness and transitioning out of voluntary
or involuntary hospital care prior to returning to their parent or guardian. Support is focused on
stabilization of gains made in the more structured hospital setting and developing living skills and
personal processes of recovery. The term step-up refers to community-based treatment options for
children and youth experiencing mental illness as an alternative to hospitalization. Step-up supports
focus on social skills and illness management techniques.

Analysis
The opportunity was also missed for discharge planning with a full wraparound approach
with family and community-based involvement to support and sustain Joshuas eventual
return to his family.15
These two placement-related issues the failure to secure a community transitional

placement by bringing Joshua into care forthwith and the lack of a well-developed
residential system of care for children and youth with serious mental health issues left
Joshua with no appropriate place to live safely in the community where he could also
receive the treatment he desperately needed.
While Joshua was in hospital, the relationship between MCFD and BCCH was at
times strained. At the root of this strained relationship was the tension between the
hospital and MCFD over whether or not Joshua would be brought into the care of
MCFD. Consequently, when Joshua was ready for discharge in June 2015, there were
no appropriate placement options available to support his
There are young people that are transition back into his community. The result was a prolonged,
just really severely impaired by 122-day hospital stay.
their mental health concerns and
they need an opportunity in a The severity of Joshuas mental illness and chronic risk of
positive, protected environment to suicide was apparent as soon as he was admitted and assessed
move through rehabilitation and to by a psychiatrist at BCCH in March 2015. His hospital care
be given an opportunity to define team quickly recognized that Joshuas needs surpassed his
and achieve a meaningful life for mothers abilities to care for him. The hospital social worker
them, whatever that looks like. contacted MCFD to request its involvement with Joshuas case
in April 2015. This message from BCCH staff was repeatedly
BCCH psychiatrist communicated to MCFD staff throughout Joshuas hospital stay.
Tensions arose between MCFD and the hospital care team during their first meeting, when
the hospital staff asked MCFD to plan a placement for Joshua once he was discharged.
MCFD believed that it could not do so based solely on the hospitals request. The ministry
chose to assess Joshua and his family first to determine what supports were needed and
whether taking Joshua into care would be appropriate despite the existence of a substantial
body of expert clinical assessment information and opinion on both Joshuas needs for
support and his familys inability to adequately support his complex needs.
Although Joshuas mother loved him deeply, she was unable to meet his needs or care for
him in 2015. His mother communicated her inability to meet Joshuas needs as early as
2006 and repeatedly throughout his long-term hospitalization. Joshuas father was not given
serious consideration or assessed by the MCFD team as a potential placement for Joshua.
There are multiple routes for children to come into the care of MCFD. One route is
through a Voluntary Care Agreement (VCA). This is a written agreement between MCFD
and a parent who is temporarily unable to look after their child. The CFCS Act states that,
if possible, MCFD must find out the childs views on a VCA and take them into account,
15
Wraparound community supports refer to support services that are individualized to meet the needs of
each child or youth and their family. Wraparound services are community-based, culturally relevant and
include a team of service providers working collaboratively to develop and implement plans of care.

Analysis
and must consider whether the agreement is in the childs best interest. Similar to a VCA,
MCFD may also enter into a written agreement known as a Special Needs Agreement
(SNA) with a parent to take care of a child with special needs. Either a VCA or an SNA
could have been an appropriate option for MCFD to pursue in Joshuas case.
Taking a child into care because the parent is unable to meet the needs of their child
under s. 13 of the CFCS Act does not have to be seen as a judgement on the parent,
their love for their child or their willingness to care for their child. Joshua was a child
with exceptionally high needs due to his mental illness. The Representative believes that,
in this case, MCFD ought to have acted sooner to secure an appropriate community
residential placement for Joshua as an alternative to his mothers care. It appears to
the Representative that the prolonged and arguably unnecessary focus by MCFD on
an extended process of assessing the familys capacity to manage Joshuas needs and on
building rapport with Joshua only served to help MCFD avoid the responsibility and
costs of appropriate services for this youth and his family.
The Representative recognizes that such decisions are made within a broader context
of an under-resourced child welfare system that strains against a high demand
for specialized and expensive child welfare residential
UN Convention on the Rights placements. They also occur within the context of laudable
of the Child Article 19: efforts to maintain family integrity and an understandable
reluctance to bring a child into care, especially given the
States shall take all appropriate measures potentially damaging effects of separation in involuntary
to protect the child from all forms of cases. A different lens, however, is required when the
physical or mental violence, injury or circumstances involve children and youth with complex
abuse, neglect or maltreatment. Such special needs and when bringing children into care may
protective measures should include in fact be a necessary and constructive bridge to eventual
effective social programs to provide family reunification.
necessary support for the child and their
guardians, as well as other forms of MCFD should have taken Joshua into care in May 2015 and
prevention and identification. begun searching for a placement for Joshua, as it was clear
to all involved that he would need one. Instead, a placement
search was delayed until July 2015, meaning that when the hospital felt Joshua was ready
to transition out of hospital in June 2015, he had to stay there for several more weeks
due to MCFDs inaction, with the attendant anxiety of not knowing when and where he
was going to be placed.
While the BCCH team worked over the months to treat Joshua and to prepare him for
discharge into his community, the focus for MCFD was on case planning for his post-
discharge. MCFDs goal was to form a connection with Joshua to gain his cooperation
with a possible future MCFD placement, and the ministry felt it had the time to do so
as Joshua was still involuntarily certified under the MH Act at BCCH. When the MCFD
social worker met with Joshua every week, Joshua continued to say that he did not want
to come into care and that he was going to kill himself. Joshuas MCFD social worker
told RCY interviewers that he felt that none of us [knew] what to do, what would be the
appropriate thing for this kid.

Analysis
Members of Joshuas BCCH care team informed RCY

UN Convention on the Rights investigators that they felt Joshuas period of stability in June
of the Child Article 9: 2015 would have been the ideal time to discharge him, had
an appropriate community resource been available. They
States shall ensure that a child shall not were not comfortable releasing Joshua to his mother, who
be separated from his or her parents had told them she did not feel able to meet his needs. They
against their will, except when such were exasperated by what they perceived as inaction by
separation is necessary for the best MCFD and by the MCFD team leaders insistence that they
interests of the child. would not take Joshua into care at that time.
BCCH team members responded appropriately to this frustration by writing a letter

outlining why they felt that MCFD should consider taking Joshua into care. MCFD
replied promptly and, the next day, the complete care team met and discussed the plan
for Joshua. The team began forming a concrete plan to safely transition Joshua back to
the community. The BCCH social worker noted that this
UN Convention on the Rights meeting was a key turning point in the relationship between
of the Child Article 12: the hospital and MCFD. It was during this meeting that it
finally became clear that both BCCH and the community
States shall ensure that children capable service providers, including MCFD and iYos, were
of forming their own views have the concerned with the length of Joshuas stay and had been
right to express those views freely in all trying all along to make choices that were in Joshuas best
matters that affect them, and that their interest and that would offer him the best support.
views are given due weight in accordance
with their age and maturity. The Representative would like to note that, despite the
issues around placing Joshua throughout his stay in hospital,
his extended care team showed strong collaboration and willingness to employ creative
practices to work toward an appropriate discharge plan for him that would provide
wraparound community supports. That said, given the severity and intractability of Joshuas
mental illness and his prolonged hospital stay, his case should have been escalated to the
Provincial Director of Child Welfare. His extended stay in hospital had a potentially
detrimental effect on his already very complex mental illness with tragic results, and his case
clearly merited the personal attention of those at the highest levels, who should have been
actively supporting staff and ensuring that the necessary resources were in place to protect
Joshua and help him work toward recovery. That this did not happen despite an existing
protocol agreement and memorandum of understanding between the hospital and MCFD
points to a systemic lack of training for front-line workers that must be addressed.
Some professionals at BCCH highlighted in their interviews with the Representatives

investigators that Joshuas case was not the only one in which they have experienced
challenges working with MCFD when a parent cannot care for a youth with extremely
high needs and the hospital is planning for discharge. One psychiatrist remarked that
they have had similar cases that took months of serious conflict and advocacy, and that the
psychiatrist wasnt surprised by this response [from MCFD].

Analysis
From July 15 to July 31, 2015, Joshuas MCFD

Protocol Agreement, Memorandum team worked to identify an appropriate placement
of Understanding for Joshua, who had agreed to come into care under
a VCA. Recognizing that there were no MCFD
MCFD has a succinct protocol agreement with resources available that could meet his needs, his
BCCH, established in 2011, laying out the roles MCFD team began the process of developing a
and responsibilities for collaborative practice. specialized resource for Joshua, a process that can take
The agreement is meant to clarify the roles of several months. Given Joshuas long history of serious
involved professionals, facilitate cooperation mental health issues, his repeated hospitalizations
and information-sharing and outline the and the understanding that the community-based
expectations for conflict resolution. options were very limited, the Representative finds it
MCFD, BCCH, and Sunny Hill Health Centre unacceptable that this work began so late.
for Children also have a 2013 Memorandum
of Understanding for discharge planning to
The considerable challenges Joshuas MCFD and
the community for children and youth in care,
BCCH care teams faced in trying to plan for
which may also be applied to children with
Joshuas discharge arose primarily because of a lack
ministry involvement (not just those in care).
of dedicated community-based transitional resource
This document clarifies the roles of all parties
homes for children and youth with complex mental
in discharge planning, ensures structures are
health needs, the absence of which forced the care
in place to enable collaboration and timely
team to look to placements through the child
communication, and provides mechanisms to
protection system because that, unfortunately, was
resolve disputes through escalation to higher
the only option. The very few resources that are
levels of responsibility in the decision-making
available in this province can only be accessed by
chain of both organizations.
children in the care of MCFD. This is a key issue
in B.C., as the Ministry of Health and MCFD have
very different mandates and systems. In the current environment, parents of children
with needs similar to Joshuas only have one option to access these few community-based
mental health placements: putting their child in the care of MCFD. This is unacceptable,
and has been allowed to carry on for far too long.
When interviewed for this investigation, both MCFD and BCCH staff identified this
gap as a chronic, systemic challenge they face in serving children and families. One
BCCH psychiatrist emphasized that Joshuas case is not the only one that highlights this
concern, stating, We have youth that have mental health needs that are greater than what
the family can provide, but its not child protection . . . This isnt a huge group of kids, but they
tend to have very complex psychiatric needs and theres not really
UN Convention on the Rights a place for them to go. Many MCFD and BCCH employees
of the Child Article 23: interviewed identified the need for a step-down community
residential program for children and youth leaving hospital
States recognize that a mentally or that would allow them to gradually transition from
physically disabled child should enjoy a the acute, intensive hospital environment back to their
full and decent life, in conditions which communities and then eventually to their families. These
ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and community residential transition resources would ideally
facilitate the childs active participation also provide support and training to caregivers to enable the
in the community. children to return to their families.

Analysis
The provincial government has known about this significant

We dont have step-down gap in the child and youth mental health system for many
units where these kids could be years. The lack of step-up and step-down beds has been
transitioned smoothly in a fully the subject of several key government reports. Despite
supported way, where families can well-intentioned reviews and plans, there has been no real
be supported, and its not hospital, progress in addressing this gap. The Representative believes
but its supported in a community this is a serious and unacceptable situation. Had this well-
environment . . . I think thats how known issue been resolved by the provincial government
we support youth, in their natural during the last 15 years, Joshua may have not been in a
environment with other youth. situation where he was waiting in a hospital, potentially
BCCH social worker dealing with the anxiety of not knowing where he would live
and what he would do once released.
In 2003, MCFD launched the five-year Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for British
Columbia,16 which was informed in part by a province-wide consultation with service
providers, stakeholders and service recipients conducted in 2000. That plan identified
the absence of dedicated community residential mental health treatment resources as a
key gap in the service-delivery system. MCFD intended to fill this gap by re-focusing
existing contracted child welfare community residential resources so that those resources
could provide specialized mental health treatment that would not require a child to
be brought into MCFD care. This aspect of the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan
was never realized because of budget cuts to MCFD in the early 2000s that decimated
contracted community residential services.
MCFD commissioned a review of the implementation of the 2003 CYMH Plan in

2008.17 That review found that insufficient access to community residential programs
remained a significant provincial concern. The report recommended that MCFD
prioritize the provision of additional resources for step-down residential facilities. Instead
of providing additional resources, MCFDs strategic plan stated its intention to redesign
existing residential resources to include residential mental health resources.18
In 2010, the Ministry of Health and MCFD released a 10-year plan to address mental
health and substance use.19 That plan yet again identified the need to strengthen
community residential treatment options for children and youth and promised action
to enhance appropriate access to evidence-based community placements and community
residential therapeutic options for children and youth with mental disorders. Annual
monitoring reports of progress in implementing this 10-year joint ministry plan were
publicly released for the first two years and then abandoned. The most recent annual
report, from 2012, stated that the goal of enhancing residential therapeutic options for
16
Ministry of Children and Family Development, Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for British Columbia
(Victoria, 2003).
17
A. Berland, Promises Kept, Miles to Go: A Review of Child and Youth Mental Health Services in BC
(Victoria, Ministry of Children and Family Development, 2008).
18
Ministry of Children and Family Development, Strong Safe and Supported Operational Plan (Victoria,
2008).
19
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Children and Family Development, Healthy Minds, Healthy People: A
Ten Year Plan to Address Mental Health and Substance Use in British Columbia (Victoria, 2010).

Analysis
children and youth was achieved by the completion of the above-mentioned 2008 review.
No actual resources were created or enhanced.
In 2012, the final report of the Residential Review Project, a joint project between
MCFD and the Federation of Community Social Services of BC, was released.20 That
review reported that there were no intermediate community residential mental health
treatment beds at all in the province.21 The report identified the need for the current
system of intermediate care and treatment to be systemically planned, re-focused and
re-invested in. The report specifically recommended evidence-based residential treatment
programs be developed and implemented through redeployment of existing resources
and new investments.
MCFDs subsequent Operational and Strategic Directional Plan incorporated reference

to development of a child and youth mental health service delivery template that would
include assessing the need for out-of-home care services, especially step-up and step-
down facilities, ideally distributed across BC. 22 There was, however, no actual resource
commitment or implementation follow-through to go along with this needs assessment.
Following the release of earlier reports that flagged significant shortcomings in child
and youth mental health services, the Representative issued a comprehensive review of
mental health services for 16- to 19-year-old youth in B.C. in 2013.23 That review found,
again, that intensive, intermediate mental health services such as community residential
treatment programs were virtually non-existent. 24 The report recommended that the
provincial government develop a detailed three-year operational plan to improve mental
health service delivery to youth which would include, among other things, community-
based intensive intermediate care. Government did not develop the recommended
three-year plan, nor did it commit resources to address the identified gap in intermediate
mental health services for youth.
In 2016, MCFD announced the funding and implementation of two contracted

resources in Vernon and Prince George with five beds each for children in care from ages
seven to 18 with complex emotional, mental health, developmental and/or behavioural
problems.25 However, these resources were not designed to serve as step-down resources
that could serve as a bridge between acute hospital care and a return to community,
although they may occasionally be used to support children in care making this
transition. A lack of step-up and step-down resources therefore remains a very significant
20
The Federation of Community Social Services of BC and Ministry of Children and Family
Development, Residential Review Project: Final Report (Victoria, 2012).
21
Ninety-five tertiary care (hospital-based) beds and 20 supported independent living child and youth
mental health beds were identified.
22
Ministry of Children and Family Development, MCFD Operational and Strategic Directional Plan
2012/13 2014/15 (Victoria, 2012).
23
Representative for Children and Youth, Still Waiting: Firsthand Experiences with Youth Mental Health
Services in B.C. (Victoria, 2013).
24
One narrow targeted exception is the Woodstone Residence for treatment of young people age 17- to
24-years-old with eating disorders.
25
B.C. Government Communications and Public Engagement, New Care Beds Available for Kids with
Complex Needs (Victoria, 2016).

Analysis
gap throughout the province and access to such resources

For cases like this case and other should not be limited only to children in care, as this is
cases where theyve had really unnecessary, unduly restrictive and some parents find it to be
significant mental illness and its stigmatizing.
been challenging to find effective
treatment or its highly complex Joshuas story illustrates the effect that this systemic issue can
like his presentation was, having have on individual lives, and the effect it can have on the
a step-down unit with more of a work of those trying to provide comprehensive, responsive
mobilization, rehabilitation for this and appropriate services to children and youth with complex
population would be tremendous. mental illnesses. The Representative believes it is time for
And its not available. government and its provincial partners to prioritize the need
for step-up and step-down beds that are accessible to all
BCCH psychiatrist children and youth in B.C., regardless of whether they are in
the care of MCFD.
Ongoing Challenges with Obtaining Long-Term Mental Health Services

for Children and Youth
Finding: Despite experiencing significant and chronic mental health issues from an early
age, Joshua did not receive the sustained and integrated mental health interventions and
treatments that he required over the long term.
There were signs that indicated the severity of Joshuas mental

I dont think that enough of that health issues well before his first hospitalization for suicidal
budget is allocated to mental health. ideation in 2014 at the age of 16. He received some early
I know that its six to seven per cent assessments and services, but did not receive the kind of
of the budget; the Deputy was very long-term, intensive help that was warranted.
clear about that. And I dont think
thats a Ministry of Children and The Representative has issued several investigative reports
Family Development problem; I highlighting the chronic underfunding to provincial mental
think thats a government problem. health services for children and youth that can lead to an
And thats true in Health as well . . . inability of front-line service providers to offer long-term,
Government has to make funding intensive mental health services. Recent reports on the subject
child and youth mental health include Broken Promises: Alexs Story, A Tragedy in Waiting: How
adequately a priority. B.C.s Mental Health System Failed One First Nations Youth, and
Who Protected Him? How B.C.s Child Welfare System Failed
Psychiatrist One of Its Most Vulnerable Children, as well as the previously
mentioned report, Still Waiting: First-hand Experiences with
Youth Mental Health Services in B.C. 26
26
Representative for Children and Youth, Broken Promises: Alexs Story (Victoria, 2017).
Representative for Children and Youth, A Tragedy in Waiting: How B.C.s Mental Health System Failed
One First Nations Youth (Victoria, 2016).
Representative for Children and Youth, Who Protected Him? How B.C.s Child Welfare System Failed One
of Its Most Vulnerable Children (Victoria, 2013).
Representative for Children and Youth, Still Waiting: First-hand Experiences with Youth Mental Health
Services in B.C. (Victoria, 2013).

Analysis
Still Waiting
In 2013, the Representative issued the report Still Waiting: First-Hand Experiences with
Youth Mental Health Services in B.C. 27 This report reviewed mental health services for
youth in B.C. and included surveys, focus groups and interviews with youth, families and
service providers. The review revealed a fractured youth mental health system in B.C. that
is confusing and frustrating for youth and their families to navigate. 28 It showed that
significant barriers existed for youth trying to receive help, including long waits, a lack
of understanding about mental health as a whole, gaps in communication and services
for transitioning youth and a lack of intensive, intermediate supports in B.C. communities
outside of the hospital system. The review also pointed out that families did not feel
supported and informed about their childrens needs and available community supports, and
that communication lapses between service providers, such as hospital practitioners and
community professionals, were a major concern.
Joshuas family first had contact with CYMH in November 2000, when his mother
called CYMH requesting services for two-year-old Joshua, as she was concerned about
behaviours including hitting himself on the head. Then, in the 2005/06 school year,
a planning team was put together to assist Joshua in getting through the school year.
The team consisted of a counsellor, a school administrator, a school department head,
a teacher, a social worker and a psychiatrist. Despite the involvement of professionals
focused on his mental health for much of his early childhood, Joshua continued to show
a range of mental health difficulties for many years until he reached his teens and the
issues intensified and exhibited as chronic suicidal ideation.
A recurrent pattern in Joshuas case was the withdrawal of services whenever he began to
do well, or when the voluntary mental health services were unable to successfully engage
with him. This occurred in 2007, 2008 and 2009. CYMH services were initiated and
then withdrawn again in early 2011 when, after three months of engagement, Joshuas
mother discontinued services for Joshua, saying she would monitor his mental health
herself. There is no indication that Joshuas mother was informed of support programs
to assist her to do so effectively. Again in 2012, with Joshua now 13, CYMH received
a referral due to his isolation, depression and school withdrawal. The CYMH clinician
attempted to engage with Joshua for six months and then closed the CYMH file because
he did not succeed in doing so, even though Joshua clearly still needed mental health
services. This was Joshuas last involvement with CYMH until two years later when he
was hospitalized for suicidal ideation.
The Representative recognizes that these case worker decisions to withdraw services
occurred within the broader context of a child and youth mental health service system
that has been, and remains, vastly under-resourced, with lengthy waiting lists for
services. Consequently, these scarce resources require that policies regarding caseload
management and withdrawal of services be put in place to make room for waiting cases.
27
Representative for Children and Youth, Still Waiting.
28
Representative for Children and Youth, Still Waiting, 3.

Analysis
An appropriately resourced mental health service system would not only retain the
capacity to maintain consistent services but also to proactively and assertively reach out
with services in cases involving chronic and/or complex needs.
Mental health challenges are one of the most common health issues among youth and
children. Estimates derived from recent prevalence surveys in other countries, suggest
that 12.6 per cent of children and youth in B.C. ages four to 17 years (approximately
84,000) experience clinically significant mental disorders at any given time.29 The report
that provided this estimate also found that effective prevention programs are imperative to
lessen the burden of avoidable mental disorders and to reduce the need for treatment services
over time. This report notes that there are unacceptable service shortfalls for young
people that would not be tolerated for physical health problems . . . and should no longer be
tolerated for mental health problems.
Many mental health issues emerge before age 25 and can become chronic with
potentially negative short- and long-term impacts. These impacts can include
interpersonal and family difficulties, problems in school, increased risk of physical illness
and shorter life expectancy.30
In B.C., children, youth and their families experience too many barriers to mental
health services, including a lack of understanding of mental health problems, long
wait times and services that are not designed for youth. Mental health services are
fragmented, difficult to navigate, and too often do not support and involve families
in caring for children and youth who are experiencing mental health problems.
There are also significant gaps in the continuum of mental health services, including
a lack of specialized emergency mental health services, a lack of community-based
intensive intermediate mental health care and a lack of services for key child and youth
populations including Indigenous youth, LGBTQ2S+ youth, and youth between 16 and
25. Stigma against those with mental health issues also remains a barrier to services.31
When Joshua was hospitalized in February 2015 after a suicide attempt, he remained at
a local hospital on its secure adult psychiatric unit, although he was only 16. Although
records and interviews indicate no issues with the treatment Joshua received while on
this unit, it was not the ideal placement for a youth. Again, this placement demonstrates
ongoing resourcing challenges within child and youth mental health in the province. The
hospital he was in did not have a secure mental health unit for children and youth at that
time. As a result, if children or youth are not transferred to BCCH, able to be placed
at the dedicated adolescent psychiatric units in Surrey, Kelowna or Prince George, or
referred to the Maples (Burnaby) or Ledger House (Victoria), they are either placed on
29
C. Waddell et al., Child and youth mental disorders: prevalence and evidence-based interventions
(Vancouver: Childrens Health Policy Centre, Simon Fraser University, 2014), p.2.
30
S. Kutcher and A. McLuckie for the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health
Commission of Canada, Evergreen: A Child and Youth Mental Health Framework for Canada: Summary
(Calgary, AB: Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2010), p.5.
31
S. Kutcher and A. McLuckie, Evergreen; Representative for Children and Youth, Still Waiting; Select
Standing Committee on Children and Youth, Final report: Child and youth mental health in British
Columbia, Concrete Actions for Systemic Change (Victoria: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, 2016).

Analysis
the pediatric unit, which is not designed for mental health crises, or they are placed on
the adult unit, which may not be appropriate to meet their needs.
A common theme in interviews conducted with hospital employees by RCY investigators

was the challenge in transferring youth to BCCH. According to those interviewed, once
a child leaves the Emergency ward, it is challenging to transfer them to BCCH. Hospital
administrators interviewed for this investigation acknowledged that most hospitals are
busy and over-capacity and, once a child or youth in need has been admitted to a unit,
it is more difficult to transfer them, as Emergency patients are given priority. Patients
admitted to wards are assigned a lower level of urgency for transfer to other hospitals.
This places hospital professionals in the position of deciding between keeping the child
or youth in the Emergency ward until they can secure a possible transfer to BCCH, or
transferring the child or youth to a more appropriate ward within their hospital, which
then reduces their chance of getting into BCCH. After Joshuas second suicide attempt
and subsequent hospitalization in March 2015, he did get transferred to BCCH.
Given BCCH is one of the key tertiary care centres in the province that provides services
for involuntary patients and has the best resources to care for children and youth in
mental health crisis, these potential challenges in hospital transfers are problematic and
should be reviewed by the Ministry of Health and the health authorities.
Another clear gap in Joshuas ability to access community mental health services can
be seen in the lack of services provided to Joshua after his releases from hospital in
November 2014 and again in March 2015. In both cases,
So, for the kids that are the most
once Joshua was discharged, his family was informed he
reclusive, that are the most challenging
would receive follow-up from CYMH. This follow-up
to engage and to treat, were saying Well,
was to come from the one CYMH liaison embedded
unless you volunteer for this, thanks . . .
within the hospital. In the year he received Joshuas
It doesnt make any sense and I recognize
intake, this single liaison received approximately 300
that young people have to engage but
reports of children who had presented to the hospital
weve got to have some capacity to reach
with mental health and/or substance use concerns,
out, to maintain some connection with
an unreasonable and unmanageable workload for one
these young people, so at the moment
person. He explained to RCY investigators that his
that they do decide to engage, theres
capacity, combined with the voluntary nature of services
somebody there to pick them up.
in B.C., meant he was only able to call each youth, talk
Psychiatrist to them and provide them an option of services if they
wanted to access them.
For a youth with Joshuas presentation and isolation, the post-hospital discharge
mental health services he received in late 2014 and early 2015 were insufficient and
unacceptable. The iYos team, a partnership between MCFD and the health authority,
may serve to better bridge this gap given that part of its role is to facilitate links to
community mental health services when children and youth are discharged, to keep
following youth until those services are connected and to provide intensive case
management and outreach services for youth for up to two years if needed. When
Joshua was initially released from hospital in early 2015, this team was still being

Analysis
formed, so he was unable to access this service. However, its role and collaboration
with CYMH can be seen in its involvement with Joshua during the last few months of
his life in the summer of 2015.
Numerous hospital professionals interviewed also highlighted the unique and more
complex nature of child and youth mental health services when compared to adult
services. With adults, professionals are dealing primarily with the individual. With
children and youth, they often need to support the whole family, a task that the current
provincial mental health model is not resourced to do. As one BCCH doctor stated in
her interview with RCY investigators, If I had anything it would be that the Ministry of
Health recognized that children are the niche market and were not ever just looking after the
patient, weve got a whole family . . . [Were] not resourced for that.
RCY Advocacy
One of the legislative functions of the Office of the Representative for Children and Youth
is advocating for children and youth receiving reviewable services (such as mental health
services or services under the CFCS Act) to ensure they are receiving programs and services
that meet their needs, that their rights are upheld and protected and that their views are
heard and considered by decision-makers.
In 2015, RCY advocates received 2,056 calls for service. Of those calls, 108 involved the
need for advocacy for family support services or mental health services. These calls for
advocacy support are coming from children, youth and their families who experience
great challenges in navigating the complex system of child and youth services in the
province. The challenges Joshuas mother faced when Joshua stopped attending school is
a common theme in advocacy work. Single, working parents of children with special needs
or behavioural or mental health issues are often left with minimal supports as there is no
clear mandate under any MCFD service stream to intervene and offer support. Schools are
also very limited in what they can offer in the home. Consequently, the home situation can
be left to deteriorate such that it becomes a significant protection concern, initiating MCFD
involvement at that point of crisis. Such was the case in Joshuas home, where MCFD finally
responded with a family development response.
With little to no prevention or early intervention focus, the crisis-driven child-serving
system suffers a chronic lack of long-term, family-oriented ongoing support services.
Further, the lack of residential services in the child and youth mental health system,
coupled with a limited capacity for outreach mental health clinicians for children and
youth, means that single parents are left struggling to know where to go for help in a
fragmented system.

Analysis
Had hospitals and community mental health teams been better resourced, Joshuas
mother may have felt more supported during his ongoing state of crisis. She told RCY
investigators that she received little information from hospitals during Joshuas first
two admissions, and that she did not know what she was
UN Convention on the Rights supposed to do to support Joshua and help increase his
of the Child Article 23: safety. This lack of awareness reduced Joshuas mothers
ability to care for him, as she felt she was never given the
States recognize that a mentally or tools or support to do so by BCCH or MCFD.
physically disabled child should enjoy a
full and decent life, in conditions which The provincial government has recognized the need to do
ensure dignity, promote self-reliance and better in supporting families in its planning framework for
facilitate the childs active participation family inclusion entitled Families at the Centre: Reducing
in the community. the Impact of Mental Health and Substance Use Problems on
Families A Planning Framework for Public Systems in B.C.
This framework recognizes the need for services and supports that promote good mental
health and prevent or lessen the impact of mental health and substance use challenges for the
whole family. 32
The lack of consistent, long-term mental health services to children and youth with
complex and/or chronic needs, including youth such as Joshua, has been a long-standing
issue in B.C. and has been recognized in many government and external-to-government
reports. Recently, a report by the provincial Select Standing Committee on Children
and Youth (SSCCY),33 Final Report Child and Youth Mental Health in British Columbia:
Concrete Actions for Systemic Change recognized that, although the province may have
many services available, they are often not necessarily easily accessible or well integrated as
a system of care. Children, youth, young adults, and their families are suffering as a result of
significant weaknesses and gaps in services. 34
One core recommendation from this report was that a Minister for Mental Health be
appointed to ensure provincial coordination and effectiveness of services. The report also
made recommendations to improve access to services provided by child and adolescent
psychiatrists and psychologists; to encourage effective and durable linkages between
health authorities, health care providers and school districts; and to set targets to ensure
services are delivered in a timely manner, with targets of a 60-day intake, assessment and
initiation of treatment for children and young adults exhibiting signs of behavioural,
emotional or mental health issues. In its report, the committee urged the provincial
government as a whole to assign a high priority to the overall improvement of child and
youth mental health services.
32
Family Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force, Families at the Centre: Reducing the Impact of
Mental Health and Substance Use Problems on Families A Planning Framework for Public Systems in B.C.
(Victoria, 2015), 2.
33
The Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth (SSCCY) is an all-party committee and one of nine
permanent committees of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The committee meets to foster
awareness and understanding of the child- and youth-serving system in B.C., and to discuss reports by the
Representative for Children and Youth. The SSCCY is the committee to which the Representative reports.
34
SSCCY, Final Report, iv.

Analysis
In February 2017, the former governments budget for the three-year period beginning
in 2017/18 provided for enhancements in funding of child and youth mental health
services: $15 million annually for MCFD to hire more than 120 additional CYMH
staff, along with an additional $3 million in annualized funding for additional integrated
youth services centres (the Foundry programs) and $1 million in annual funding
for additional youth and Aboriginal mental health services. While appreciable and
certainly needed, this limited allocation of new funding will fall well short of what
is needed to establish a comprehensive mental health service system for children and
youth. For example, there was, yet again, no funding allocation for step-up/step-down
residential services nor other intensive, intermediate services such as day programs or
specifically targeted early intervention and school-based services.
In July 2017, the provincial government announced the creation of the Ministry for
Mental Health and Addictions and appointed a minister responsible. That new ministers
mandate letter requires her ministry to create a mental health and addictions strategy
to guide the transformation of B.C.s mental health care system and includes, as part of
that strategy: a focus on improving access, investing in early prevention and youth mental
health. As a result of these developments, the Representative is hopeful that there will be
progress in addressing these serious concerns going forward. However, the Representative
does note that this new ministrys budget, as laid out in the September 2017 Budget
Update, includes only $5 million this fiscal year and then $10 million in annual funding
thereafter. This is because the new ministrys role is limited to providing strategic
leadership and planning; actual child and youth mental health service delivery will
remain with MCFD and the health authorities. In this regard, there was no additional
funding allocated for child and youth mental health services beyond that already
identified in the February 2017 budget, noted above.
The Representative hopes that this new ministry will be given authority to set policy and
direct significantly enhanced new resources in other ministries, including MCFD and
Health, that will be required to make a real difference in B.C.s child and youth mental
health system.
Joshua needed sustained, long-term and effective community

UN Convention on the Rights mental health services to help him and his family cope
of the Child Article 24: with his depression and suicidal ideation. An increased and
vigorous regimen of treatment may not have altered the
States recognize the right of the child to
eventual outcome of Joshuas suicide, but early and constant
the highest attainable standard of health
mental health intervention may have helped diminish his
and to facilities for the treatment of
overall risk of attempting suicide and may have provided
illness and rehabilitation of health.
Joshua and his family with the community supports they
needed to live healthier, safer lives.
As with every childs life, Joshuas story is unique in many ways. However, Joshua and
his familys struggle to receive consistent, long-term mental health services will likely
resonate with many of the other B.C. children, youth and families coping with mental
health challenges. Direct action must be taken by the province to remedy the long-

Analysis
recognized shortcomings in the current mental health system in B.C. and to do so in a

way that optimizes evidence-based approaches and integrated services.
Lack of a Collaborative, Systemic Response to Children and Youth

Withdrawing from School
Finding: The child-serving system in B.C. was unable to adequately respond to Joshuas
withdrawal from school, which was a clear warning sign that his mental health was in decline.
The Representative has remarked in previous

The huge gap is not going to school, not investigative reports, including A Tragedy in
connecting with services, not going anywhere, Waiting: How B.C.s mental health system failed
not threatening to kill themselves just sitting one First Nations youth, that school employees are
at home doing nothing . . . That doesnt sound often the first people outside of the family to see
urgent, but Joshua is a great example . . . emerging mental illness and to provide consistent
Maybe it didnt look urgent, but if you use the support to young people in need.35 The SSCCYs
outcome at the end, maybe looking backwards, report Concrete Actions for Systemic Change echoed
we shouldve been doing more at this stage. similar findings, stating, Educators are well
School employee positioned to observe emerging behavioural disorders
and symptoms of mental illness. Children may display
behaviors indicating stress with the demands of
education, bullying, or a difficult family life. 36
In Joshuas early childhood, his school frequently reported concerns for his well-
being and offered support in the form of counselling, specialized learning plans and
collaborative service provision with mental health services offered by the local health
authority. One major issue in Joshuas early childhood that is beyond the scope of this
report is his elementary schools practice of repeatedly sending him home when the
school could not manage his behaviours, putting undue pressure on Joshuas struggling
single, working mother. This eventually resolved, and
UN Convention on the Rights Joshuas school supported him to remain in class from 2007
of the Child Article 28: to 2012. Unfortunately, when Joshua withdrew from school
in early 2012, the school system and Joshuas community
States recognize the right of the child lacked the capacity to respond to his needs.
to education. They shall, in particular,
take measures to encourage regular In Grade 8, at the age of 13, Joshua began refusing to
attendance at schools and the reduction attend school. His mother and school staff members tried
of drop-out rates. repeatedly to re-engage him with no success. They partnered
with local CYMH services for outreach to Joshuas home,
but the CYMH worker assigned was also unsuccessful in connecting with Joshua. In
keeping with the School Act, although Joshua was not attending school, the local district
maintained his enrollment and continued to try to work with him. They changed his
IEP to include alternative school options and distance education to try to better meet
Joshuas needs. The School Act states that children under 16 must enrol and participate
35
Representative for Children and Youth, A Tragedy in Waiting.
36
SSCCY, Final Report, 28.

Analysis
in an education program, but the legislation does

I think people cared, but I dont know if not provide any guidance or directives to school
there was enough of a safety net to catch the districts or the Ministry of Education for means
kids like this . . . Hes not the only one thats to ensure that this participation occurs. Joshuas
sitting at home locked inside a room. lack of attendance and engagement with school
Joshuas mother persisted for three years, despite his mothers and
the school districts ongoing attempts to address it.
The School Act

The School Act is the legislation in B.C. that compels school attendance for children and
youth. Under Part 2, s. 3 of the School Act, students from the ages of five to 16 must enrol
in an educational program and students must participate in that educational program.
Section 14 allows any person who believes that a child is not receiving an education
program to report that belief and, after receiving that report, the superintendent of the
school district in which the child resides must take such action as is required by the orders
of the minister. 37 Although the School Act dictates that students must attend and engage
in school, the Act does not give schools or other service providers any real power to enforce
this legislation.
The lack of capacity for schools and communities to respond to youth such as Joshua is
a concerning limitation in the current child-serving system in B.C. In Joshuas school
district alone, one school employee identified approximately 20 youth who were not
engaged in school despite ongoing efforts. That school employee has taken it upon
himself to check in with those youth monthly because he is aware that, in the current
system in B.C., all of the ministries involved in providing care to youth are prioritizing
cases. Youth such as Joshua, who are alone at home not receiving any services but who do
not appear to be in active crisis, are essentially ignored. The alternative school that Joshua
was enrolled in from 2013 to 2015 had an abundance of mental health support services
that Joshua could have accessed, but he needed to leave his room to get them. His school
team was left in frustration, aware of Joshuas need for more support but limited by its
own mandate and by the lack of resources to meet Joshuas needs.
Part of the issue with serving children and youth who are not engaged in school is that
social withdrawal is not recognized as the major warning sign that it, in fact, is. As a
starting point, social withdrawal should be recognized by all the provincial ministries and
organizations that support children as a red flag that a child is not doing well. Ministries
should be afforded the capacity to respond to that concern promptly and collaboratively.
This responsibility cannot solely lie with the Ministry of Education. Educational
professionals interviewed for this investigation outlined their continual frustration with
the system as it is. They said that currently their main response to school withdrawal
is to call the parents. They said that they have tried to call MCFD, but are told that
37
Province of British Columbia, School Act (Victoria, 1996).

Analysis
non-attendance is not considered a protection concern, so there is little MCFD can do.
As one school employee stated, They make it really clear when I phone that its not their
problem which is fascinating because in other areas not attending school for a length of time
without a reasonable explanation can be considered some kind of crisis. A school principal
echoed this concern, stating, Call MCFD and
I would like to see the school challenge its not on their list of priorities. Weve been told this
become a community one . . . to have shared explicitly non-attendance at school is not an at-risk
responsibility and accountability from Health, behaviour . . . But from our end, we use attendance
school, municipality, MCFD. These kids, as one of the primary markers of concern for mental
[theyre] not anybodys. Not school, dont go. health, for addiction, for family dynamics.
Not Health, dont go. Not MCFD, [these kids
are] not seeking help or hurt. Not police, its The school employees views of attendance as
not illegal. All the services dont touch them. an indicator of overall well-being was echoed by
They all say they dont have the resources to medical professionals interviewed from BCCH.
move to this set of kids. One psychiatrist noted, Its against the law to not be
in school . . . I consider school avoidance a psychiatric
School employee emergency and that, once kids have missed even one
to two weeks of school, theyll get referred to the crisis
service . . . The longer youre out of school, the worse it is. The same psychiatrist emphasized
the need for the government and service providers to recognize and better respond to the
serious implications of school resistance in youth.
B.C. school systems do have a wide variety of

When a child misses school, there can be outreach and alternative programs, and the
different degrees: poor attendance, lack of professionals working within those programs
attendance, and the most severe is school deserve recognition for their skills and
failure [defined by weeks of complete absence]. commitment. However, these programs do not
Children develop physically, socially, and have the capacity, or the full integration of services
mentally [at school], and school failure from multiple ministries, to meet the needs of
represents a halting of that trajectory. Any children such as Joshua. One school administrator
failure to attend school for more than a couple interviewed for this investigation suggested that the
of weeks is absolutely a red flag and should be Ministry of Health, MCFD and the Ministry of
treated as an emergency. Education work together to develop, resource and
Psychiatrist test-run an interdisciplinary, wraparound team that
exists solely to address this small cohort of children
who are completely disengaged from school and who, like Joshua, are on a pathway to a
despairing situation. In doing so, the child-serving system in B.C. would be positioned
to respond better to children and youth who are challenging to reach.
Fully integrated services from the main child-serving ministries in response to children
such as Joshua would allow the formation of a preventative team, potentially facilitated
or driven by the childs school team, to work together and react earlier to situations
that clearly have the potential to turn into life-threatening crises. For Joshua, this could
have led to a team assigned to work specifically with him, providing the outreach,
comprehensive supports and time commitment necessary to treat him before his suicide
attempts in 2015.

Analysis
In recent years, models of integrated service delivery have emerged with the aim of
providing services in a child-, youth- and family-friendly manner. Integrated services
can be coordinated across providers and settings and delivered either through co-located
programs or through well-functioning collaborative arrangements across two or more
service providers. Ideally, services are offered in a tiered manner where individuals with
more complex mental health issues are referred to appropriate tertiary level supports
such as residential programs. Integrated services can include not only mental health, but
substance use services as well as physician-based health care.38
New Brunswick has established an Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) framework for
children and youth with emotional, behavioural and mental health issues. The goal of
the ISD approach is to overcome the challenges many children and families experience
when they try to access mental health and other supports, particularly for children and
youth with multiple needs. This approach is meant to ensure that children and youth
receive an integrated approach to case management with the aim of preventing issues
from reaching a crisis.
The ISD framework requires that professionals such as counsellors, social workers,
educators, nurses, mental health and substance use professionals work together in teams
to offer a range of services and supports. To improve access to these services, many of
these teams are located in schools and other community settings. These teams can provide
assessment, support and intervention services to reduce the need for delivery of more
intrusive supports; the goal is to have one case file for each child or youth to ensure
planning has been conducted in a collaborative manner and that all professionals are aware
of the goals and service options. The ISD model also relies on a tiered governance structure
where coordination of services occurs at the regional as well as the provincial level. 39
The framework also establishes the requirement that regions create integrated child and
youth teams with professionals from all of the identified service groups, and that:
Following a child-centered approach, Education and Early Childhood

Development will provide programming support and resources to realize
the articulated goals for the childs program. This allocation of support and
resources will be based on the premise that it is imperative for school and district
professionals to serve as a guide to the professional knowledge, skill and judgment
needed to be part of the Child and Youth Team. 40
This approach by New Brunswick recognizes the unique place schools have in the lives of
children and youth and the ability of school professionals to recognize when children are
in need. In response to the centrality of schools in childrens lives, the framework clearly
states, Each C&Y team is assigned to provide services to a cluster of schools within a given
38
B. Rush & L. Nadeau, On the integration of mental health and substance use services and systems,
in Responding in mental health and substance use, ed. D. Cooper (Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing, 2011),
148-175.
39
See New Brunswick, Integrated service delivery (ISD) for children and youth with emotional, behavioural,
and mental health issues, http://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/education/isd.html.
40
Province of New Brunswick, Framework, 27.

Analysis
region . . . Partners in each region will determine the number of C&Y teams required for each
region, as well as the number of resources required for each team. 41
Currently, B.C. does not have a true integrated service model such as New Brunswicks.
Such a model could have allowed for a much greater overall response to Joshua prior to
his state of crisis in 2015. There are some encouraging examples of integrated mental
health services for children and youth in B.C., such as school-based hubs where physical
and mental health services are offered at one site located either adjacent to or within
schools. The mandates of school-based health hubs vary, but in general these services
are meant to provide low-barrier, seamlessly integrated health and wellness services for
students who are provided a range of services (addressing physical ailments, sexual health
and mental health) in a private, safe environment.42
Another example of service integration in B.C. can be seen in the Foundry project a
newly established set of integrated health and social service centres for young people ages
12 to 24. Foundry centres provide one-stop access to mental health care, substance use
services, primary care, social services and youth and family peer support. The Granville
Youth Centre in downtown Vancouver was the first of these integrated services, with
more centres opening in Campbell River, Abbotsford, Kelowna, the North Shore and
Prince George.43
These B.C. pilot projects are in keeping with the recommendations of the previously
mentioned Select Standing Committee report Concrete Actions for Systemic Change, in
which the committee made a core recommendation to integrate and coordinate child
and youth mental health services with a one child, one file approach as a foundational
design principal.44
The Representative commends the creative approaches underway in B.C. to respond to

the need for more accessible, inclusive, youth-friendly health and substance use services.
However, these approaches would not have reached Joshua, who would not leave his
home. The Representative believes that B.C. could do much more to prioritize integrated
mental health services by establishing a clear model of true collaboration between the
child-serving ministries. If the province commits to developing a true integrated service
strategy, children such as Joshua, who clearly needed more help than he received in the
three years prior to his hospital admission, may no longer fall through the cracks.
41
Province of New Brunswick, Framework, 27-28.
42
For more information on school-based hubs, see the SSCCY report, Final Report, pp. 27-29.
43
See http://www.foundry.bc.ca for more information.
44
SSCCY, Final Report, v.

Recommendation
Recommendation
Recommendation
That the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions lead the planning and implementation of a full
continuum of mental health services for children and youth in British Columbia in partnership with
the Ministries of Children and Family Development, Health and Education and that the provincial
government provide the resources needed to support this comprehensive system.
The comprehensive plan to be developed within 12 months and implementation of the components to
begin within 24 months.

Glossary
Glossary
Acute Home Based Treatment Program: A program offered through the local health
authority that provides an outpatient care option for people over 17 experiencing
worsening symptoms from mental illness or substance use.
Borderline Personality Disorder: A personality disorder relating to the ability to

regulate emotions and impulses, often regarding personal relationships.
Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH): CYMH is a part of MCFD that offers free,
voluntary mental health services to infants, children and youth who are experiencing
mental health challenges.
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy: A treatment method that has demonstrated success in

treating patients who show signs of having borderline personality disorder. The treatment
is highly structured with a wraparound, team approach and ideally includes the 24-hour
availability of a skilled therapist.
Dysthymia: This is a term used to refer to chronic, mild depression.
Individual Education Plan: A plan created for students with special needs in B.C. to
document, summarize, and record their individual education program, including goals
and the planned provision of additional services.
Intensive Youth Outreach Services: An outreach mental health and substance use
service for youth provided by the local health authority.
Electroconvulsive Therapy: A procedure used to treat certain mental illnesses, including

major depressive disorder, which involves an electrical current passing through the brain
to trigger a brief seizure.
Family Development Response: A possible response by MCFD to s. 13 protection
concerns under the Child, Family and Community Service Act. This is intended to be a
collaborative response to protection concerns that includes an in-depth assessment phase
and a possible service-provision phase.
Mental Health Act: The legislation covering the treatment and protection of people with
mental illness in B.C. This Act includes the ability to voluntarily and involuntarily admit
people experiencing mental illness to designated hospitals.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder: This is a behavioural disorder diagnosis for patterns of

disobedient and defiant behaviour to authority figures.
School Act: The legislation in B.C. covering the public K to 12 school system. This Act
includes the requirement that children from the ages of five to 16 must be enrolled and
engaged in school.

Glossary
The Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth: This is one of nine permanent
committees of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The committee meets to
foster awareness and understanding of the child- and youth-serving system in B.C., and
to discuss reports by the Representative for Children and Youth.
Social Responsibility Support Program: A joint program between the local health
authority and the school district in Joshuas region that is intended to offer intensive
behavioural support to elementary school children while keeping them enrolled in their
mainstream school.
Step-up and Step-down Services: In this report, step-up refers to community-based

treatment options for children and youth experiencing mental illness as an alternative
to hospital placement. Step-down refers to community-based residential treatment
options for children and youth transitioning out of voluntary or involuntary hospital care
prior to returning to their parent or guardian.
Wraparound Services: This refers to supports services that are individualized to meet the
needs of each child and youth and their families. Wraparound services are community-
based, culturally relevant and include a team of service providers working collaboratively
to develop and implement plans of care.

Appendices
Appendix A: Representative for Children

and Youth Act
Part 4 Reviews and Investigations of Critical Injuries and Deaths
Section 11 Reviews of critical injuries and deaths

(1) After a public body responsible for the provision of a reviewable service becomes aware
of a critical injury or death of a child who was receiving, or whose family was receiving,
the reviewable service at the time of, or in the year previous to, the critical injury or
death, the public body must provide information respecting the critical injury or death
to the representative for review under subsection (3).
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the public body may compile the information
relating to one or more critical injuries or deaths and provide that information
to the representative in time intervals agreed to between the public body and the
representative.
(3) The representative may conduct a review for the purpose of identifying and analyzing
recurring circumstances or trends to improve the effectiveness and responsiveness of a
reviewable service or to inform improvements to broader public policy initiatives.
Section 12 Investigations of critical injuries and deaths

(1) The representative may investigate the critical injury or death of a child if, after the
completion of a review of the critical injury or death of the child under section 11,
the representative determines that
a. a reviewable service, or the policies or practices of a public body or director, may
have contributed to the critical injury or death, and
b. the critical injury or death
i. was, or may have been, due to one or more of the circumstances set out in
section 13 (1) of the Child, Family and Community Service Act,
ii. occurred, in the opinion of the representative, in unusual or suspicious
circumstances, or
iii. was, or may have been, self-inflicted or inflicted by another person.
(2) The standing committee may refer to the representative for investigation the critical
injury or death of a child.
(3) After receiving a referral under subsection (2), the representative
a. may investigate the critical injury or death of the child, and
b. if the representative decides not to investigate, must provide to the standing
committee a report of the reasons the representative did not investigate.

Appendices
Appendix B: Documents Reviewed for the

Representatives Investigation
BC Coroners Service Records
Kimble Report for Joshua
Coroners Report for Joshua
Legislation, Regulations, Standards and Policy

British Columbia Childrens Hospital policies and procedures regarding passes, nurse
in charge handovers and missing patients
British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development (2003). Child and
Family Service Standards
British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development (2012). Child Safety
and Family Support Policies
Child, Family and Community Service Act (1996). Victoria, B.C. Queens Printer
Evidence Act (1996). Victoria, B.C. Queens Printer
Memorandum of Understanding Between the Ministry of Children and Family
Development, British Columbia Childrens Hospital and Sunny Hill Health Centre for
Children For Hospital Discharge Planning to the Community for Children and Youth
in Care (2013)
Mental Health Act (1996). Victoria, B.C. Queens Printer
Protocol Agreement Regarding Childrens and Womens Health Centre of British
Columbia and the Ministry of Children and Family Development: Roles and
Responsibilities for Collaborative Practice (2011)
Representative for Children and Youth Act (2006). Victoria, B.C. Queens Printer
School Act (1996). Victoria, B.C. Queens Printer
Medical Records
Health authority records
Hospital records
Family doctor records
Medical Services Plan records for family

Appendices
MCFD Records
Computer records for service requests to MCFD regarding Joshua and his family
Child and Youth Mental Health file for Joshua
Family service file
Ministry of Education Records

Joshuas school records
Internal emails regarding Joshua
Police Records
Records from four police departments regarding Joshua
Search and Rescue Records

Records from Search and Rescue regarding Joshua

Appendices
Appendix C: Interviews Conducted during

the Representatives Investigation
Family members (5)
Community agency service providers (1)
Health authority mental health staff members (4)
Hospital staff members (14)
MCFD staff members (10)
School staff members (7)
Search and rescue staff members (2)
Total: 43 individuals interviewed

Appendices
Appendix D: Multidisciplinary Team

Under Part 4 of the Representative for Children and Youth Act (see Appendix A), the
Representative is responsible for investigating critical injuries and deaths of children who
have received reviewable services from MCFD within the 12 months before the injury or
death. The Act provides for the appointment of a Multidisciplinary Team to assist in this
function, and a Regulation outlines the terms of appointment of members of the Team.
The purpose of the Multidisciplinary Team is to support the Representatives

investigations and review program, providing guidance, expertise and consultation in
analyzing data resulting from investigation and reviews of injuries and deaths of children
who fall within the mandate of the Office, and formulating recommendations for
improvements to child-serving systems for the Representative to consider. The overall
goal is prevention of injuries and deaths through the study of how and why children are
injured or die and the impact of service delivery on the events leading up to the critical
incident.
The Multidisciplinary Team brings together expertise from the following areas and
organizations:
Ministry of Children and Family Development, Child Protection
Policing
BC Coroners Service
BC Injury Research Prevention Unit
Indigenous community
Pediatric medicine and child maltreatment/child protection specialization
Nursing
Education
Pathology
Special needs and developmental disabilities
Public health.

Appendices
Following is the list of members that comprised the team when the report was last
reviewed:
Cory Heavener Ms. Heavener is Assistant Deputy Minister and Provincial Director of
Child Welfare for the Ministry of Children and Family Development. She is the former
head of the Provincial Office of Domestic Violence. She was previously the Director of
Critical Injury and Death Reviews and Investigations for the Representative for Children
and Youth. Ms. Heavener has a lengthy career in child welfare in British Columbia and
began her career as a child protection social worker 25 years ago.
Beverley Clifton Percival Ms. Percival is from the Gitxsan Nation and is a negotiator
with the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs Office in Hazelton. She holds a degree in
Anthropology and Sociology and is currently completing a masters degree at UNBC in
First Nations Language and Territory. Ms. Percival has worked as a researcher, museum
curator and instructor at the college and university level.
Sharron Lyons With 32 years in the field of pediatric nursing, Ms. Lyons currently
works as a registered nurse at the BC Childrens Hospital, is past president and current
treasurer of the Emergency Nurses Group of BC and is an instructor in the provincial
Pediatric Emergency Nursing program. She has also contributed to the development
of effective child safety programs for organizations such as the BC Crime Prevention
Association, the Youth Against Violence Line, the Block Parent Program of Canada and
the BC Block Parent Society.
Dr. Ian Pike Dr. Pike is the Director of the BC Injury Research and Prevention Unit
and an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Faculty of Medicine
at the University of British Columbia. His work has been focused on the trends and
prevention of unintentional and intentional injury among children and youth.
Dr. Dan Straathof Dr. Straathof is a forensic pathologist and an expert in the
identification, documentation and interpretation of disease and injury to the human
body. He is a member of the medical staff at the Royal Columbian Hospital, consults for
the BC Childrens Hospital and assists the BC Coroners Service on an ongoing basis.
Dr. Christine Hall Dr. Hall is the Medical Director of Trauma Services for the
Vancouver Island Health Authority, an associate professor at the University of Calgary
and a clinical assistant professor at the University of B.C. In addition to her training in
emergency medicine, Dr. Hall has a masters degree in clinical epidemiology.
Deputy Chief Derren Lench Derren Lench is currently with the Central Saanich
Police Service where he is Chief Superintendent, Deputy Criminal Operations Officer in
Core Policing. He recently joined the municipal service after 35 years with the RCMP.
Deputy Chief Lench is the outgoing President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police.

Appendices
Dr. Margaret Colbourne Dr. Colbourne is a clinical associate professor in the

Department of Pediatrics at UBC and Director of the Child Protection Service Unit
(CPSU) at BC Childrens Hospital. She has worked both as a Pediatric Emergency
Physician and a CPSU pediatrician since joining the hospital staff at BC Childrens
Hospital in 1994. She has served as a committee member of the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canadas Pediatric Emergency Medicine Examination Board
and holds a Founder designation in Pediatric Emergency Medicine. Dr. Colbourne
is actively involved in many aspects of medical education and clinical research. Her
areas of interest including topics in both pediatric emergency medicine as well as child
maltreatment.
Dave Attfield RCMP Chief Superintendent Attfield is the Deputy Criminal Operations
Officer for Core Policing in B.C. This area includes oversight of our provincial programs
relating to children and youth which are delivered through E-Division Crime Prevention
Services. Chief Superintendent Attfield serves on several BC Association of Chiefs of Police
committees including Violence Against Women; Mental Health and Addictions; and
Crown-Police Liaison.
Deb Whitten Deb Whitten is currently an Associate Superintendent of Schools in

the Greater Victoria School District. Prior to this role, she was the District Principal of
Student Services where she worked closely with students and families in supporting their
educational goals. Ms. Whitten is an advocate for youth as they transition through schools
and into adulthood. She has been working collaboratively with community stakeholder
groups to address mental health concerns and continuity of support and services.
Dr. Rachelle Hole Dr. Hole is an associate professor at UBCs School of Social
Work in the Okanagan and co-director of the Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship
at UBC. Dr. Holes research includes a focus on human rights and social inclusion,
supports and services for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, and
transitioning youth with disabilities. Prior to pursuing her academic career, Dr. Hole was
a community mental health worker and a family preservation worker.
Michael Egilson Michael Egilson is the Chair of the Child Death Review Unit for the
BC Coroners Service. Mr. Egilson has worked in the public sector for the past 30 years
in various capacities related to the health and well-being of children and youth. Over the
past three years, he has convened seven child death review panels culminating in public
recommendations to improve public safety and prevent similar deaths in the future.
Kate Hodgson Ms. Hodgson is the Coordinator at Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre,

one of the key partners in Our Place a collaboration of residents, community
organizations, local business and community leaders in Vancouvers inner city
committed to ensuring that our children and youth have every opportunity for
success. She has extensive experience working in Vancouvers Downtown Eastside/
Strathcona neighbourhood over the past 16 years, including as the Executive Director
for the Network of Inner City Community Services Society. She has been a director
on the board of the Federation of BC Youth in Care Networks and an advisor to the
Vancouver Foundations youth homelessness initiative.

References
References
B.C. Government Communications and Public Engagement. New Care Beds Available
for Kids with Complex Needs. Victoria, 2016.
Berland, A. Promises Kept, Miles to Go: A Review of Child and Youth Mental Health
Services in BC. Victoria: Ministry of Children and Family Development, 2008.
British Columbia Integrated Youth Services Initiative. Rationale and Overview. British
Columbia Integrated Youth Services Initiative. http://bciysi.ca/assets/downloads/bc-iysi-
background-document.pdf (accessed March 2017).
Canadian Mental Health Association. Borderline Personality Disorder. Canadian
Mental Health Association. https://www.cmha.bc.ca/documents/borderline-personality-
disorder-2/ (accessed January 2017).
Izci, F., Yilmaz, Y., Camkurt, M.A., Findikli, E., Calli, S.Y.K., Fidan, Y. and Bestepe, E.E.
Impacts of the Duration and Number of Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) Sessions
on Clinical Course and Treatment of the Patients with Major Depressive Disorder.
Journal of Mood Disorders 6(3) (2016): 99-106.
Family Mental Health and Substance Use Task Force. Families at the Centre: Reducing the
Impact of Mental Health and Substance Use Problems on Families A Planning Framework
for Public Systems in BC. Government of British Columbia. Victoria, 2015. http://www2.
gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/child-
teen-mental-health/families_at_the_centre_full_version.pdf (accessed May 2017).
Federation of Community Social Services of BC and the Ministry of Children and
Family Development. Residential Review Project: Final Report. Victoria, 2012.
Kutcher, S. and McLuckie, A. for the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the
Mental Health Commission of Canada. Evergreen: A Child and Youth Mental Health
Framework for Canada: Summary. Calgary, AB: Mental Health Commission of
Canada, 2010.
Ministry of Children and Family Development. Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for
British Columbia. Victoria, 2003.
Ministry of Children and Family Development. MCFD Operational and Strategic
Directional Plan 2012/13 2014/15. Victoria, 2012.
Ministry of Children and Family Development. Strong, Safe and Supported Operational
Plan. Victoria, 2008.
Ministry of Education. Individual Education Planning for Students with Special Needs: A
Resource Guide for Teachers. Victoria, 2009.
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Children and Family Development. Healthy Minds,
Healthy People: A Ten-Year Plan to Address Mental Health and Substance Use in British
Columbia. Victoria, 2010.
Province of British Columbia. Mental Health Act. Victoria: Queens Printer, 1996.

References
Province of British Columbia. School Act. Victoria: Queens Printer, 1996.

Province of New Brunswick. Framework for the Delivery of Integrated Services for Children
and Youth in New Brunswick. Province of New Brunswick, 2015. http://www2.gnb.ca/
content/dam/gnb/Corporate/pdf/ISD/en/ISDFramework.pdf (accessed March 2017).
Province of New Brunswick. Keeping Children and Youth Safe from Harm in New
Brunswick, A Five Year Strategy by New Brunswickers. Province of New Brunswick,
2015. http://www.cyanb.ca/images/PDFs/ChildrenYouthSafeFromHarm.pdf (accessed
March 2017).
Representative for Children and Youth. Broken Promises: Alexs Story. Victoria, 2017.
Representative for Children and Youth. Still Waiting: First-hand Experiences with Youth
Mental Health Services in BC. Victoria, 2013.
Representative for Children and Youth. A Tragedy in Waiting: How B.C.s Mental Health
System Failed One First Nations Youth. Victoria, 2016.
Representative for Children and Youth. Who Protected Him? How B.C.s Child Welfare
System Failed One of Its Most Vulnerable Children. Victoria, 2013.
Robins, C.J., Ivanoff, A.M. and Linehan, M. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. In
Handbook of Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, edited by J. Livesley,
437-459. New York: the Guildford Press, 2001.
Rudd, M. David. Fluid Vulnerability Theory: A Cognitive Approach to Understanding
the Process of Acute and Chronic Suicide Risk. In Cognition and Suicide: Theory,
Research, and Therapy, edited by T.E. Ellis, 355-368. American Psychological
Association, 2006.
Rush, B. and Nadeau, L. On the integration of mental health and substance use services
and systems. In Responding to mental health and substance use, edited by D. Cooper,
148-175. Oxford: Radcliffe Publishing.
Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth. Final Report Child and Youth
Mental Health in British Columbia: Concrete Actions for Systemic Change. Province of
British Columbia, 2016. https://www.leg.bc.ca/content/CommitteeDocuments/40th-
parliament/4th-session/cay/reports/PDF/Report_SSC-CY-40-4-3_Concrete-Actions-
For_Systemic_Change.pdf (accessed April 2017).
United Nations. Convention on the Rights of the Child. Treaty Series 1577, 1989.
Waddell, C., Shepherd, C., Schwartz, C., and Barican, J. Child and Youth Mental
Disorders: Prevalence and Evidence-Based Interventions. Vancouver: Simon Fraser
University, 2014. http://childhealthpolicy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/14-06-17-
Waddell-Report-2014.06.16.pdf (accessed May 2017).

Contacts
Phone Offices
In Victoria: 250-356-6710 Head office Victoria
Elsewhere in B.C.: 1-800-476-3933 #400 1019 Wharf Street
Victoria, B.C. V8W 2Y9
E-mail
[email protected] Northern office Prince George
1475 10th Avenue
Fax Prince George, B.C. V2L 2L2
Victoria: 250-356-0837
Lower Mainland office Burnaby
Prince George: 250-561-4624
#150 4664 Lougheed Hwy.
Burnaby: 604-775-3205
Burnaby, B.C. V5C 5T5
Website B.C.s Representative
www.rcybc.ca for Children and Youth
and RCYBC Youth
Mail
PO Box 9207, STN PROV GOVT
@rcybc and @rcybcyouth
Victoria, B.C. V8W 9J1
Rep4Youth
@rcybcyouth

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Missing Pieces

The Honourable Darryl Plecas

Dear Mr. Speaker,

pc: Ms. Kate Ryan-Lloyd

Mr. Craig James

ii Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 1

Following a recommendation from the coroner, the Representative launched an

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 3

Multiple recommendations to create a clear and comprehensive system of mental health

4 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 5

In January 2016, the Representative completed a review of Joshuas death and

A preliminary report of the investigations findings was made to the Representatives

6 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

youth who are experiencing mental health challenges.

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 7

2003 to 2007 5- to 8-years-old, Joshuas

8 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

In response to Joshuas behaviour, the school developed an Individual Education Plan

Individual Education Plan

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 9

10 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

In early 2007, noting their inability to

2007 to 2011 8- to 13-years-old, Multiple Concerns

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 11

12 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 13

2012 to 2014 13- to 15-years-old, Joshua Withdraws

According to interviews with school employees conducted by RCY investigators, both

14 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

The Mental Health Act (MH Act)

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 15

2014 to March 2015 Joshuas Isolation Persists,

16 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

Chronic vs. Imminent Risk of Suicide

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 17

Joshua returned to his mother, to be followed by the

18 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

March 2015 Joshua is certified under the MH Act a

Late March 2015 Joshuas Admission to BCCH

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 19

April 2015 BCCH brings MCFD into the Planning Process

20 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

BCCH also liaised with Joshuas former school to plan

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 21

May to June 2015 Strained Communication between

22 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 23

Another psychiatrist who specializes in suicidality was asked to provide consultation on

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

24 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

July 2015 Discharge Planning; Joshua Completes Suicide

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 25

On July 14, 2015, frustrated by what it perceived to be an ongoing lack of appropriate

26 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017

October 2017 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story 27

28 Missing Pieces: Joshuas Story October 2017