We launched the PLEASE BRING ANDREW BRYENTON HOME TO P.E.I. PETITION in July 2023.  We received 11012 signatures from P.E.I. and Ontario residents by October 2023.

We realize this petition is not a legal document.  But everyone knows that community support can change a decision!  We want to change the P.E.I. COMMUNITY TREATMENT ORDER that received 3rd Reading, royal assent and was legislated.   The first choice is to have it revoked and replaced with the NEW BRUNSWICK, BEST IN CANADA CTO MODEL.  MENTALLY ILL ISLANDERS NEED AND DESERVE THE BEST AVAILABLE CTO IN CANADA!

Failing that, our second choice is an amendment to the Mental Health Act CTO legislation inserting the word "OR." The legislation now states that there must be two admissions within the last two years for a total of 30 days. 

The amendment would state, two admissions within the last two years OR a total of 30 days.  This would enable many more people to qualify for a COMMUNITY TREATMENT ORDER AS IT IS LESS RESTRICTIVE.

 

 

 

 

THIS PHOTO OF ANDREW WAS TAKEN IN 2022 PRIOR TO HIS DEPARTURE FROM P.E.I. 

                                  *******URGENT******

DO YOU THINK WE CAN GET HUNDREDS OF SIGNATURES EACH AND EVERY DAY?

                             ********PLEASE  NOTE*******                  

ANYONE IN CANADA MAY SIGN THIS PETITION.  PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ACROSS CANADA.  WE URGENTLY NEED YOUR SIGNATURES!

Here is the link for the petition:   https://chng.it/MF2H48rszv  

I received this post today:   Cheryl Wertman  I’m a retired nurse who used to work downtown TO with street involved folks. I’ve seen many Andrew’s and feel CTOs should be much more readily accessible when persons are unable to care for themselves and are at risk of imminent health and danger.                  

The CTO that was legislated is very restrictive and many mentally ill Islanders will NOT QUALIFY including our son, Andrew Bryenton.

COMPARISONS P.E.I. CTO TO N.B. CTO:
1. Previous hospitalization.
PEI: at least 2 involuntary admissions AND a total of 30 days as involuntary inpatient.
NB: 1 admission of any duration OR none if there is a “pattern of behaviour” that is likely to cause serious harm or deterioration. Alberta has a similar provision to NB.  

Andrew would qualify for the N.B. CTO but not the P.E.I. CTO.

  **WE NEED YOUR SIGNATURE BEFORE DECEMBER 15, 2023**

Decision makers are influenced by successful petitions.  Our goal is to receive thousands of signatures before  December 15, 2023.  The P.E.I. Legislative Assembly ends December 27, 2023.  May we count on you to sign this petition?  There are no fees associated with your signature.

BACKGROUND:

Our son, Andrew has had a mental illness for six years.  Prior to his illness he was an Assistant Bank Manager, husband, father of two children, deacon and youth Leader at First Baptist Church, Charlottetown, and owned his own home in East Royalty.  His mental illness has literally destroyed his life and he has lost everything!

Andrew was a National Junior Champion Bowler twice.  He also was a pitcher in a National Baseball Tournament.  He won the P.E.I. All-Around Male Athlete of the Year and City of Charlottetown Eli MacEachern Awards. He is an elite marathon runner and has participated in 15 P.E.I. Marathons.

Andrew left home abruptly in October 2022 and I successfully tracked him on Facebook, thanks to 100 Community Group members who sent photographs of Andrew with date, time and location.  Andrew survived on the streets of Toronto, homeless thanks to hundreds of Ontario residents who ensured Andrew had food, water, money and clothing.

We filed six Form 2 applications before we finally got Andrew admitted to the Humber River Hospital in Toronto, Ontario.  It was the most difficult and heartbreaking year of our lives.

We are thankful that the Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane, authorized a rare Ministerial Order to have Andrew transferred back home to P.E.I., as he was homeless on the streets in Toronto, with winter approaching.

I have courageously stepped out and expressed my concern for the recently legislated Community Treatment Order. I would never tarnish my reputation, my family's reputation, Order of P.E.I. or UPEI Honourary Doctorate Degree, by giving misleading or false information.

The P.E.I. Government should have legislated a Gold Standard, Best in Canada CTO based on the New Brunswick CTO model. But that unfortunately, did not happen!

The P.E.I. Government chose to legislate a very restrictive CTO that many mentally ill people on P.E.I. will not receive, as they will NOT QUALIFY.  Our son, Andrew will NOT QUALIFY!

We were told that this decision was based on a consultation with psychiatrists and others. Peter Bevan-Baker, Green Party asked the Minister of Health and Wellness, Mark McLane, for the list that were involved in the Mental Health Act consultation process. To Peter Bevan-Baker's surprise the Minister of Health, Mark McLane, refused to give the list. According to Peter Bevan-Baker he has never seen this happen before in his long political career. Why do you suppose this list was withheld?

Also, prior to the Community Treatment Order being legislated, I was consulting with Dr. Richard O'Reilly, psychiatrist, emeritus professor of psychiatry at Western University, London, Ontario. In addition, Dr. John Gray, lead author of mental health law and policy from Vancouver, B.C. contacted me. These are two leading specialists in Community Treatment Orders in Canada.

They offered to assist the P.E.I. Government to implement the CTO with no financial compensation! They authored a document titled EVOLUTION AND COMPARISONS, where they demonstrated that the proposed P.E.I. CTO was very restrictive verses the N.B. CTO model which was in their opinion the BEST IN CANADA.  THE P.E.I. CTO WAS CONSIDERED THE WORST IN CANADA!  Their opinion was ignored and according to The Guardian, a flawed P.E.I. CTO was legislated.

Why do you suppose the PC Government refused to listen to Dr. Richard O'Reilly and Dr. John Gray's professional opinions, and then legislated a flawed CTO? This does not make sense!

I have courageously stepped out and challenged the P.E.I. Government to do the right thing. I want them to revoke the 3rd Reading of the CTO Bill before Royal Assent and replace it with a CTO that will be more inclusive and less restrictive based on the N.B. CTO model.

I believe that Islanders need and deserve the best possible Community Treatment Order available in Canada. However, I am only one person! I am trying to make a difference, but I can not do this alone. I need your voice and support. Are you willing to write e-mails or Letters to the Editor of the Guardian newspaper? letters@theguardian.pe.ca or The Guardian, Box 760 Charlottetown, PE C1A 4R7 or The Eastern Graphic newspaper paul@pei.canada.com?

Or perhaps contact CBC Radio Talkback 18006801898 or Maritime Noon 18005655463. Or send e-mails to the Minister of Health, Mark McLane, mamclaneminister@gov.pe.ca or send an email to Premier Dennis King, premier@gov.pe.ca or personally speak to your MLA about this serious mental health issue.

Please also contact Zach Bell, Charlottetown - Winsloe District.  He is the GOVERNMENT WHIP.  zhbellmla@assembly.pe.ca or phone 902-368-4360.  

A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. This means ensuring that members of the party vote according to the party platform, rather than according to their own individual ideology or the will of their donors or constituents. Whips are the party's "enforcers". They work to ensure that their fellow political party legislators attend voting sessions and vote according to their party's official policy. Members who vote against party policy may "lose the whip", being effectively expelled from the party.

The term is taken from the "whipper-in" during a hunt, who tries to prevent hounds from wandering away from a hunting pack.

Additionally, the term "whip" may mean the voting instructions issued to legislators,[1] or the status of a certain legislator in their party's parliamentary grouping.

It is not only the mentally ill that have been affected by this substandard CTO, it also includes the loved ones who are caring for them. There are so many road blocks to getting mental health assistance. The CTO would help keep the mentally ill well in the community and out of the hospital system.

VISIT WITH ANDREW NOVEMBER 19, 2023:
We visited Andrew this afternoon. He was really pleased to see us. He told us that he loves us. Andrew asked if we would come and pick him up tomorrow, as he has a two hour pass. We invited Andrew for supper and will make him his favourite dinner and dessert, as a welcome home gift. We took him long sleeve shirts and a jacket today. He was really happy with them.

We want Andrew to continue his progress in and outside the hospital. We don't know if we will achieve this because Andrew DOES NOT QUALIFY for a COMMUNITY TREATMENT ORDER. It may be difficult to keep Andrew on his medications after he is discharged from the Hillsborough Hospital. This will put undue stress on us, as parents again!

Will you help by signing the petition and sending your Community Treatment Order feedback to decision makers? Every ballot counts at the poll and every opinion matters!

I have dubbed myself MAMA BEAR because I care about the mentally ill. If you want things to change, then you need to step up to the plate.

My credo for life was written by William J. Bennett. It states: "WE ARE HERE TO HELP ONE ANOTHER ALONG LIFE'S JOURNEY."

I believe that God will make a way! Here is the link for God Will Make A Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o

MAMA BEAR WILL NEVER GIVE UP!