Shield Alert for Adrianne Stacey
This alert was originally posted on 1/29/2021. This alert was updated on 2/9/2021 and again on 3/12/2021 and 3/18/2021.
3/18/21
Great news! Adrianne Stacey has been discharged from Cowichan Hospital in British Columbia! Thank you to those of you who wrote letters, sent emails, and made phone calls on her behalf!
Thanks in part to your actions, an omnibudsperson was assigned to Adrianne while she was a patient and her psychiatrist was replaced, one who was willing to look at medical evidence that Adrianne was not able to submit on her behalf at a Mental Health Tribunal hearing.
Thank you in particular to Bryhre Cormier, the liaison of our MF affiliate in Nelson, British Columbia.
Bryhre had numerous conversations with Adrianne during her psychiatric detainment and checked in with MFI staff regularly to update us! Bryhre has special training in interviewing individuals and her lived experience in Canada’s mental health system was a huge plus. Thank you Bryhre for your willingness to be there for a Shield member!
Now the focus will be on activating local individuals, activists, family members, and medical providers to ensure that Adrianne gets the support she needs to live independently in her own home.
As some of you already know, Adrianne has to regain power of attorney over her own affairs. A case manager assigned to Adrianne has visited her in her home and been very supportive.
Despite being locked up in a psychiatric unit since early January, thankfully, she has a home to return to. MFI has confirmed that she has heat and electricity as well as some groceries to get by for now. But she barely has the strength to lift her fingers to type onto a keyboard and is in need of a mobility device and assistant to help with daily activities.
A message containing more specific information about Adrianne’s needs will be sent shortly to enrolled Shield members. If you would like to enroll in the Shield visit our website at www.mindfreedom.org/shield
For historical purposes, we will not remove Adrianne’s original Shield alert (see below) or the portion entitlled “Volunteers Can Take Action in the Following Ways”. However, the actions below are now suspended officially. Please continue to check your email for future Shield alerts and for other ways that you can take action to support Adrianne.
1/29/2021
Recently, mainstream corporate media outlets covered shocking video of a man crawling away from a Canadian hospital where he was denied emergency treatment because of a history of psychiatric treatment. No one knows about medical discrimination better than Shield member Adrianne Stacey.
Recently Adrianne Stacey, s a 59-year old Canadian woman with physical disabilities sought emergency medical treatment in her community. Instead, she was subjected to harmful psychiatric interventions against her will. She is activating her Shield and requests your support.
Instead of receiving appropriate medical care and support to help her live independently in her own home, Adrianne is being forcibly detained at the psychiatric unit of Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan, British Columbia and forced to take powerful psychiatric drugs.
Shield members are needed immediately to help MFI take action on Ms. Stacey’s behalf.
Please help us protest the involuntary hospitalization and forced drugging of Adrianne Stacey who is being held, against her will, at
Cowichan District Hospital
3045 Gibbins Rd.
Duncan, BC
V9L1E5
The following actions are posted for historical purposes only. For the time being, we are suspending the following actions —in light of Adrianne’s release—-but check back regularly. We will update this alert to reflect Adrianne’s changing needs in the community.
Volunteers can take action in the following ways:
1) Send emails to the Office of Patient Care Quality
patientcarequalityoffice@viha.ca
2) Contact the Office of the Ombudsman HERE using their website’s contact form3) Call: Patient Care Quality Office
250-370-8323
Toll-free: 1-877-977-5797
Fax: 250-370-8137
4) Send letters using the talking points below or an example letter HERE
Honourable Sheila Malcolmson
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, British Columbia V8V 1X4
Canada
5) Send letters to
Example Letter HERE
Patient Care Quality Office
Royal Jubilee Hospital Memorial Pavilion
Watson Wing, Rm 315
1952 Bay Street
Victoria, B.C.
V8R 1J8
NEWEST ACTIONS added 2/4/2021
6) Contact the Highest Ranking Government Office in the Province of British Columbia:
Honorable John Horgan
Premier of British Columbia
Email Honorable John Horgan:
7) Call Honourable John Horgan
250-387-1715
8) Send Letters (see example HERE) to Honourable John Horgan:
Example Letter HERE
Honorable John Horgan
PO Box 9041
STN PROV GOVT
Victoria, BC, V8W 9E1
9) Send a message to Lieutenant Governor, the highest ranking representative of Queen Elizabeth in British Columbia
“The Honourable Janet Austin” by using the following contact form:
Talking points:
- Adrianne Stacey, a person with documented physical disabilities, is being held against her will at Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan B.C.Dr. Abmed Gheis is the attending psychiatrist
- Ms. Stacey did not receive due process, adequate legal counsel, or unfettered access to her phone/computer in preparation for a recent hearing.
- Her repeated attempts to obtain appropriate medical treatment for a documented physical disability have been dismissed and ignored.
- She is being detained under Canada’s ‘Mental Health Act’ even though she poses no danger to herself or others.
- She needs on-going support to live independently in her own home and a personal care assistant.
- She would like an advocate and protection from unwanted psychiatric treatment.
As a representative of the Queen, remind her that one of her focus areas is to promote
“Equity, diversity, and inclusion”
For more more details about the circumstances leading up to Adrianne’s Shield alert status please read HERE
In support and Solidarity,
MindFreedom International