A woman from Halifax says she has faced a constant struggle to get help for her friend, who she says in the midst of a mental health crisis.
Lianne Perry says her friend, a young woman in her early 20s, has had little success with the resources available.
“She's asking to be admitted. She's actively asking to be admitted,” said Perry.
Perry says her friend went to the emergency department, but was turned away.
“She's been articulating that she's been intending to kill herself and they have let her go twice,” she said.
That's when Perry showed up in an effort to help advocate for her, but she says this time, they were both turned away.
“When we left we were actually asked to leave or we would be forcibly removed,” said Perry. “That was by the psychiatrist who came in.”
The Nova Scotia Health Authority says every person who shows up at the emergency department is assessed by a doctor, who then determines whether a psychiatric assessment is necessary.
But the health authority points out that even if the patient is discharged, there are still options to address ongoing needs.
Starr Dobson of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia says when the department receives a crisis call, they tell the individual to call 911, go to their local emergency room, or to contact the mobile mental health crisis team.
She says when all else fails, the best advice is to stay with the person in crisis.
“People don't take their life by suicide when someone's there beside them holding their hand,” said Dobson.
Perry says she doesn’t intend on ever leaving her friend alone.
“I was very concerned, and I remain concerned for her mental health,” she said. “Clearly she's not bleeding from limbs, or anything else, but she is in crisis.”
Perry says all she wants is the process to be fixed so she can help her friend in need.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell.
