Oak Ridge : a review and an alternative / chair: Stephen J. Hucker.

  • Ontario. Ministry of Health
Date:
[1986?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Oak Ridge : a review and an alternative / chair: Stephen J. Hucker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/218 (page 11)
    -ll- existing problems at Oak Ridge, to be discussed subsequently in this Report, would be replicated in the medium secure units. RECOMMENDATION 2 The Committee recommends that before the number of medium secure unit beds is increased, the Ministry of Health clarify, as soon as possible, the expected roles and functions of such units. RECOMMENDATION 3 The Committee recommends that once the roles and functions of the medium secure units have been clearly defined,:the number of beds in such units be increased if necessary. The second category of individuals admitted to Oak Ridge is comprised chiefly of those civilly committed patients who have been assessed as unmanageable at other mental health facilities. The characteristics of patients in this group are also described elsewhere in this Report (see Section B.5., p.27), although in general it can be stated that they are both mentally disordered and judged by the referring source to require a maximum-security setting in order to protect themselves or others from harm. Patients in this category may be discharged either at the discretion of the responsible physician or by the Central Ontario Board of Review (see Section B.12.ii., p.111). These involuntary patients under the Mental Health Act appear often to be sent to Oak Ridge because of inadequate facilities elsewhere. The Committee's investigations indicated that Toronto, in particular, has insufficient facilities for dealing with seriously unmanageable mentally ill patients. Several observers reported that this has been more obvious since the closing of Lakeshore Psychiatric Hospital which contained a medium secure unit. That which was opened at Queen Street Mental Health Centre does not appear to have fulfulled the same needs. It was also noted that Oak Ridge seems to be one of the few facilities within the mental health system which always has beds available. This has made it easy to transfer patients to Oak Ridge who probably should not have been sent there at all. In Section C of this Report alternatives to this state of affairs are proposed and discussed.