What is the PPAO?

Psychiatric Patients’ Advocacy Office

A 28 Year History of Mental Health Advocacy and Rights Protection.

Established in 1983, the Psychiatric Patient Advocate Office (PPAO) works to protect and promote the rights and entitlements of Ontarians with mental illness through advocacy, rights advice and education.

http://www.sse.gov.on.ca/mohltc/ppao/en/default.aspx

What does PPAO do?

from PPAO website…

• provides advocacy services to in-patients at the 10 major mental health facilities in Ontario, serving patients in both the civil and forensic (not criminally responsible) mental health systems. It is the only service in Canada which provides province-wide, full-time advocacy services within mental health hospitals.

• Advocates for over 3,400 Clients Every Year .

on issues like : quality of life, quality of care, access to legal services and justice, realization of human rights and civil liberties, and access to social entitlements; concerns with privacy rights and patient records, the Public Guardian and Trustee, the Consent and Capacity Board, Ontario Courts, policing and criminalization, the use of restraints, and access to primary medical care.

•  The PPAO also engages in systemic advocacy and law reform around issues impacting on patients’ rights, including police record checks and vulnerable sector screenings, restraints, and access to primary health care. The PPAO also provides public and professional education, and publishes research reports on issues of concern in Ontario’s mental health system.

• Access to Justice for over 25,000 Mental Health Certificates

The PPAO is also responsible for providing Rights Advice services in 71 of 74 “Schedule 1” mental health hospitals across Ontario, responding to some 25,000 certificates issued every year. Rights Advice is mandated under four statutes: the Mental Health Act, the Personal Health Information Protection Act, the Substitute Decisions Act, and the Health Care Consent Act.

• Every year, PPAO Rights Advisers help over 3,500 patients apply for a review of their status to the Ontario Consent and Capacity Board.

Goar – Ontario Takes a step backward on Mental Health

Toronto Start article by columnist Carol Goar.

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1023976–goar-ontario-takes-a-backward-step-on-mental-health

Psychiatric Patient’s Rights are Human Rights

Lest your are not familiar with why it  may be good to have something like the PPAO  protecting our rights should we find ourself in a hospital, try reading the article by Ron Bassman in which he describes some of his experience inside a psychiatric ward. This is not a Toronto or Ontario story but it’s like  happens here too.

Statement by The Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children & Youth 

The office of the Ontarion childrens’ advocate has released a statement.

.pdf file Statement on the Divestment of the PPAO

website   http://provincialadvocate.on.ca/main/en/about/aboutus.cfm

Campaigning for an Independent PPAO

Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has recently announced a decision to transfer the operation of the PPAO to CMHA -Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario.

This decision was taken with little consultation and negotiations are underway between MHLTC and CMHA (Ont) for the transfer.

Many people think this move would diminish the ability of the PPAO to operate with the independence it needs to be effective in it’s role and have formed a coalition to maintain the independence of the PPAO.

CIPPAO  – brief description at CLEONet

http://www.cleonet.ca/news/2179

CIPPAO wants you to help keep the PPAO Independent!

Brief position statement and how you can help, and join the email campaign . http://www.cleonet.ca/instance_news.php?instance_id=2340