When People are Both Income
Assistance
Recipients and Mental Health
Consumers,
just cannot win, and experience
barriers to
getting mental health
treatment!
By Kendall Worth
The last time I reported on the topic of inappropriate body language caused by some income assistance recipients was back in March of 2021.
For several stories I have written on this topic see “https://nsadvocate.org/tag/fidgeting/”
Anyway. . . all 4 of the Income assistance recipients who came forward to me about their stories on this issue, contacted me again recently.
In late July, and after a few months had gone by following their first bad experience with mall security, they went to the mall again. This time the Security Supervisor gave them notices telling them they are banned from the Mall for one year. The reason they were told – Security said they could no longer deal with getting complaints from members of the public. The complaints were that their behaviour – fidgeting, staring at people, and behaving as if drunk (even though they were not drinking) – was making the public “feel uncomfortable”.
They were taken to the office “for a meeting”. The supervisor used a raised voice while speaking to them this time around, advising them that since March, even when accompanied by volunteers, they were still getting complaints. Given I had advised here, they asked:
“You have to ask what the legal grounds are for this when these people were just minding their own business and not causing trouble and not even bothering anyone when this happened. “
Anyway the Security Supervisor Advice them that during their June visit to the mall they had complaints about staring and “wiggling”and that the complainants would call the the police if Mall Security did nothing about it. Accordingly, the Security Supervisor advised them, during this meeting , that “this type of behaviour according to the law is called ‘Hysterical behaviour’ and that is why we and police both have to treat this behaviour seriously when a complaint is made.
These welfare recipients are trying to get mental health treatment for these behaviours. When I met with them to interview for this update, they told me that they live their day to day lives these days full of anxiety, occasionally leaving their apartment when the need arises. This recent action taken by mall security gave them no choice.
Volunteers from Souls Harbour who accompanied them, met with the Security Supervisor and drafted a letter to their Doctors try to get these welfare recipients referred to professionals like psychiatrists or psychologists and/or other relevant mental health professionals.
This whole issue about Inappropriate Body Language brings up a couple of questions.
#1 – Are the welfare recipients' experience, of being seen by members of the public, expressing inappropriate body language, really coming from living on the low welfare rates provided by DCS, or is this a result of a Mental Health Diagnosis that has been missed?
#2 – Do the people who act this way, know themselves that they are behaving this way or that they will be perceived, by others, as behaving in a frightening (or just not "normal") way?
Unlike other-times I interviewed them for stories, I visited them at their homes, whereas previously I met them at Public Parks or Coffee Shops. The reason why these questions come up is because there is more to what has raised their anxiety than Mll Security accosting them at the end of July, and banning them from the mall for a year.
They also experience harassment while waiting in line at soup kitchens and food banks. These 4 welfare recipients got told by others (who should have been minding their own business) that they “need to be on their meds.” One reason why this does not surprise me is because sometimes I get asked by others in my community who saw my stories on this topic “Do these people ever consider getting mental health treatment and taking medications for these issues?”
Well these folks are now agreeing that maybe a period of time in the Abby Lane is what they need. They have told me that over these past few months there were a couple of times they did try to check themselves into the hospital for depression and anxiety. However, after they went through a mental health assessment, they got told they did not qualify for any further mental health treatment.
They are hoping the letter written by the Security Supervisor and forwarded to their Doctors will play a part in getting them the help they need.
Lets hope for the best moving forward!
One Comment!
This is a really good blog wish more people would read this, you offer some really good suggestions on Depression Counselling Nova Scotia. Thanks for sharing!
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