Don't call 911 on Inappropriate Body Language!

 

           Kendall Worth: Photo by Robert Devet

 

Don’t call 911 on Inappropriate Body Language!

By – Kendall Worth!

On a Sunday a couple of weeks ago, while I out for a long walk enjoying my day, I saw a welfare recipient performing what is referred to as “Inappropriate Body Language”. He was talking to himself, waving his hands, fidgeting, and walking in one spot in circles. There is a point to this story, but, first, I want to take a moment to return to this story: “https://nsadvocate.org/2017/03/06/kendall-worth-on-fidgeting-talking-to-yourself-and-other-involuntary-body-behaviours/” previously published in the N.S. Advocate.

 In this story, I include a list of the types of behaviour I am referring to here:

• Fidgeting in Public

• Talking to themselves, in some cases out loud

• Big hand movements that make a person look like they are trying to start a fight with someone.

• Making no eye contact when spoken to

• Bad and unacceptable types of handshakes

• Giving mismatching verbal and nonverbal messages/communication

• Staring into space

• Failing to smile, or giving the wrong type of smile.

• Eye rolling

• Crossing arms defensively

• Evil-looking facial expressions

   

   

Readers may recall, the last Journalism Matters BLOG was about this same subject. This story builds on that, with my own experience of dealing with someone with  Inappropriate Body Language. At the end of the article, I link to some resources, you can call, if you have this experience.

For the other stories I have written on this topic see: “https://nsadvocate.org/tag/fidgeting/”

 Sometimes I get asked: “Kendall what is your view on why those who are financially better off, complain about this behaviour? Why does it make them uncomfortable?” I never really put a lot of time into thinking about this subject. However, recently I saw a welfare recipient performing some of the exact behaviours listed above,and that got me thinking about the subject.

I had seen this person acting out these behaviours at other times – at drop ins and soup kitchens. It had me thinking, how can people call 911 about a person who is acting this way when we do not know what the reasons are behind why he is doing it? I was uncomfortable, but, I did not call #911. I did walk away from the location where he was fidgeting, talking to himself, and waving his hands. I left, but I was worried that someone else, who does not care about his overall situation, would make that call to #911.

I don’t call 911 because of my general knowledge of the Mental Health system in Nova Scotia and the lack of services that prevents people from getting the help they need. I want to talk about how I handled and reacted to the situation, and to ask you to be kind, and not call 911. I basically reacted by following advice that professionals have given me, if I ever see this type of behaviour. First, I was told to only call #911 only where the Inappropriate Body Language includes the following:

• If you try Speaking to the Person and they come at you in a way that makes you feel unsafe.

• The person is intoxicated in public, and you see open Alcohol in their procession.

• If the person is masturbating in public.

I often know, at least possible reasons for this behaviour – fidgeting, talking to himself, and waving his hands. I knew that that a visit to the QE2 Emergency Room, escorted by police, would not solve the problem, and would likely make things worse. There was gas station nearby and I went inside and told the staff that gas station that there was someone outside their business who was behaving in a way that might be a problem for themselves or others. The people inside the gas station already knew what he was doing. They agreed with me that they did not want to see him get arrested either. It solves nothing.

He could have behaving the way he was behaving because of his personal life as I explained here. “https://nsadvocate.org/2017/03/27/downright-difficult-kendall-worth-on-friendships-ending/”

Now if you see people acting out on the street and think they could use some assistance… if only to stop people from calling the police on them. . . you have a couple of options in HRM.

One is the Mobile Street health outreach team usually called MOSH. It is sad is there are a lot of people here in HRM who do not know about this service. MOSH provides accessible primary health care services to people who are homeless, insecurely housed, street involved and under-served in our community. The MOSH team is a collaborative primary health care team of two full-time nurses, half- time occupational therapist, half-time administrative support and 12 hours of physician care per week.

Another possible resource is the Halifax Mental Health Mobile Crisis Team – they are a collaboration with the police, and provide most service by phone, but it can mean that the police are notified that the person is in a mental health crisis and may not “obey commands”, keeping them from being harmed.

For an example, of what some other jurisdictions offer off in their mental programs, that Nova Scotia doesn't offer within their mental health system see “https://nsadvocate.org/2019/01/28/kendall-worth-on-friendship-poverty-and-feeling-discouraged/” and learn about “social prescriptions”.