New Brunswick's Shameful Treatment of Vicki's Autistic Son

New Brunswick's Shameful Treatment of Vickie's Autistic Son

By Vickie Carter:
""Hello everyone. As you all know the needs of adults with Autism are not being met in the province of New Brunswick. I did not know how dire the situation was until going through a horrible event this week with my 23yr old son.

His is diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder Not Not Otherwise Specified. He has been residing in a level 4 home since September of 2018. He has been struggling with instability on his meds for the past few weeks and was taken to the Moncton Hospital for treatment on Sunday evening by the RCMP. He was kept in emergency until 6:45 Monday morning when he was released to the street in his PJ's, sneakers and a light coat in the dark and rain. No one from emergency contacted his care home or me prior to his release. He walked about 1.5 miles to my home and luckily I had not left for work yet and was able to receive him and keep him for the day. We returned to his care home that evening and he again became aggressive and the RCMP were called again to find him as he had run away from the home and to return him once again to the Moncton Hospital for treatment. The ER doctor agreed he was very sick and admitted him on a 72hr psychiatric hold. Keep in mind this was roughly 12hrs after emergency released him to the street. He was then admitted to the psychiatric unit where he again became aggressive and police where called to diffuse the situation. At the time of the incident he spit at staff and uttered threats as well. Two of the staff pressed charges against him for his actions. I was called the next afternoon and told he would be going to court the next morning at 9:00 am to have a judge order him to be sent to Restigouche where he could be assessed for a care plan to meet his needs. I arrived in court yesterday morning to attend his hearing and no one knew anything about him coming to court. His name was not listed on any court papers for that day. The RCMP had picked him up from the Moncton Hospital at 8:30 in the morning so no one knew where he was at that time. With the help of a Crown Prosecutor we were able to locate him and he was being held in the detention center because he was to medicated to go to court in the morning. He appeared in court at around 1:00 pm and no one in the court room knew of his special needs and the Judge ordered he be sent to jail for a 5 day fitness evaluation.

The hospital had not notified his Social Worker or mental health social worker of his court hearing. I then asked to speak and advised of his diagnosis and that we tried to get him help but it was declined. She refused to send him to Restigouche and was determined to send him to jail. The crown and legal aide called her into her chambers and after much debate she agreed to send him to Restigouche instead of jail. During his court appearance I saw him in the prisoner dock in handcuffs and shackles. His face was badly bruised and his eye was swollen shut. I advised the Judge that he did not have those injuries when I saw him on Monday and she dismissed my concerns. I went to the Moncton Hospital to ask about the incident and a staff member advised the police tackled him from behind and he fell face first on the floor. I'm not a doctor but from what I could see it looked like he had been punched in the face several times. I am still waiting for a call back from the nurse manager at the psych unit to discuss the incident and the injuries to his face. My son has spent extensive periods of time on this unit and he is very well known to staff there. It is my opinion the charges were laid because they didn't want to deal with him on the unit and simply wanted to push him off to another hospital. I wasn't even informed he had charges against him until I spoke with the lawyer at court. The hospital informed me Tuesday afternoon there where no charges and he didn't hurt anyone. I am very dissapointed in the lack of care he received at the Moncton Hospital especially since his illness is very well known to them. I did speak with Restigouche this afternoon and he is doing better. They were also kind enough to allow me to speak to him directly.

I am still in shock of the events that occurred this week. I'm ashamed to call myself a New Brunswicker at this time. Shame on the government of New Brunswick!! This is abuse of our most vunerable citizens.""

UPDATE: Dear NB Governments: No More Out of Sight Out of Mind: End the Cruel and Inhumane Treatment of Adults with Severe Autism Spectrum Disorders

NB governments have sent autistic adults with severe autism disorder challenges to Campbellton on NB's northen border for many years far from the bulk of the NB population and NB's autism populaton. It has been done for jobs in Campbellton and for political gain but it has not been done in the best interests of adults with severe autism challenges. It has been done in violation of sectons 25 (b) and (c) the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.:

Article 25 - Health 

  States Parties recognize that persons with disabilities have the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health without discrimination on the basis of disability. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure access for persons with disabilities to health services that are gender-sensitive, including health-related rehabilitation. In particular, States Parties shall:

b) Provide those health services needed by persons with disabilities specifically because of their disabilities, including early identification and intervention as appropriate, and services designed to minimize and prevent further disabilities, including among children and older persons;

c) Provide these health services as close as possible to people’s own communities, including in rural areas;

As you now know thanks to the February  2019 Ombud Report FAILURE TO PROTECT  and the courageous investigating and reporting of the Ombud and the excellent crew that worked with him in investigating conditions in the Restigouche Hospital the residents there have been subjected to serious abuse and neglect. Out of sight, out of mind ... for government ... not for the family members who love them and will never forget them.

More recently CBC report Karissa Donkin  has reported on the numbers of employee disciplinary issues that have plagued the Restigouche. 

As the father of an adult son with severe autism, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures living in Fredericton I am not afraid of an autism centre, to provide training, oversight, treatment and for those most severely affected by autism spectrum disorders, permanent residential care and treatment, as part of the Autism Village Network proposed to the Liberal government by Paul McDonnell in July, 2015. 

I am afraid the NB government will continue the inhumane practice of sending people with severe autism disorders like my son to the Regional Psychiatric Hospital in Campbellton on our Northern Border far from the vast majority of families and far from the autism expertise already developed in Fredericton (UNB-CEL) to provide services to persons with autism aged 2-5, autism trained school aides and consultations to age 19 (Stan Cassidy). I am very afraid that out of obedience to political considerations NB govenment will continue to sacrifice the lives of adults with severe autism disorders and persons with mental health disorders to a cruel and inhumane future as bargaining chips for political seats in Restigouche and elsewhere in the increasingly scarcely populated North.   

Why abandon our severely autistic adults to life far from home and community instead of building the New Brunswick Autism Spectrum Village Network -Satellite Model  (McDonnel, 2015)2015 with autism specific group homes in facilities around the province (in addition to assisted individual living already existing) and a centre of autism expertise in Fredericton to provide training and oversight for the homes and permanent residence and care for those most severely impacted by autism and related co-morbid conditions of depression and epilepsy made more difficult by their autism disorders? 

The principles set out in the McDonnell 2015 proposal were articulated in 2010 in a CBC interview the Professor Emeritus (Psychology) enunciated in a 2010 interview with CBC reporter Dan McHardie. Apart from setting out evidence based, humane principles to address adult autism residential care and treatment needs McDonnell also noted that the Campbellton psychiatric hospital was not an appropate setting for adult autism residential care and treatment, 8 1/2 years BEFORE the recent Ombd Report. Government however has ignored his expert suggestions in favor of using adults with severe autism challenges and other persons with mental health issues as chips in political bargaining chips.

Paul McDonnell, September, 2010, CBC Interview with Dan McHardie (emphasis added).

"Our greatest need at present is to develop services for adolescents and adults.

What is needed is a range of residential and non-residential services and these services need to be staffed with behaviourally trained supervisors and therapists. In the past we have had the sad spectacle of individuals with autism being sent off to institutional settings such as the Campbellton psychiatric hospital, hospital wards, prisons, and even out of the country at enormous expense and without any gains to the individual, the family or the community.

We need an enhanced group home system throughout the province in which homes would be linked directly to a major centre that could provide ongoing training, leadership and supervision.

That major centre could also provide services for those who are mildly affected as well as permanent residential care and treatment for the most severely affected.

Such a secure centre would not be based on a traditional "hospital" model but should, itself, be integrated into the community in a dynamic manner, possibly as part of a private residential development.

The focus must be on education, positive living experiences, and individualized curricula.

The key to success is properly trained professionals and staff."

9 years later in 2019 NB still needs an enhanced group home system throughout the province linked to a major centre, centrally located in Fredericton near NB autism expertise.

Please begin to address adult autism residential care and treatment in he humane model presented by McDonnell and stop selling adults with severe autism challenges for political gains in the increasingly lightly populated northern boder far from families and autism expertise.