Are you a journalist or another member of the media? We're here to help. Read these frequently asked questions. Get in touch with the communications team if you need more information.
Our
communications team can help you with enquiries about our programs and services, specialized mental health and substance use issues, and more.
Browse our
experts guide for ideas.
Contact our communications team to arrange an interview or gather information.
To find out when a BC Review Board hearing for a specific client will take place,
visit the BC Review Board website.
To learn more about the BC Review Board's role with our clients, visit our
BC Review Board page or the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital page.
In Canada, someone who commits a crime can be found not criminally responsible for a crime on account of a mental disorder. This person did not know they were doing something wrong or were not able to control their actions as a result of a mental disorder.
People found not criminally responsible for a crime in British Columbia are usually treated at the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital or the
Forensic Psychiatric Regional Clinics. After the treatment and support they receive, people who have been found not criminally responsible are
far less likely to re-offend (PDF) than people who have been found guilty of a crime.
Learn more about
what it means to be found not criminally responsible, including
statistics about people who are found not criminally responsible, through the
National Trajectory Project (PDF).
Some patients and clients at the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital participate in community visits as part of their treatment, which is mandated by the B.C. Review Board. You can learn more about community visits on the
Forensic Psychiatric Hospital page and in this video.
On rare occasions, a patient is late returning from a day pass. We call this an "unauthorized absence." The RCMP is responsible for informing the public about unauthorized absences.
If you have questions about an unauthorized absence, please
contact us.
We believe that whole-person addiction treatment that addresses the reasons people use substances is vital to preventing overdose. Mental illness, trauma, and more are often connected to severe substance use.
Our programs, which you can read about in Our Services, treat
complex mental illness and substance use. We're also working to improve mental health and substance use systems across B.C. to make sure people can access the care they need.
We've scaled up opioid agonist treatment in many of our programs, including Correctional Health Services and the Forensic Psychiatric Regional Clinics.
We've also launched five
community transition teams throughout B.C. to help people with opioid use disorder who have recently been discharged from a correctional facility and are at
higher than average risk for fatal overdose.
To learn more about our toxic drug crisis response, contact us.