Health Justice!

There's a new non-profit human rights organization in town. The organization's name is Health Justice, and its recent launch comes at a critical time.

Founded and staffed by superstar change-makers, Health Justice uses "research, education and advocacy to improve the laws and policies that govern coercive health care in BC." Although its initial focus is on reforming BC's Mental Health Act, Health Justice is currently also participating in urgent efforts related to health care issues resulting from COVID-19.

Why do we need Health Justice? Because health care is meant to be accessible, individualized, evidence-based, and person-centred. A quality health care system seeks to avoid harm to people who may need care; prioritizing things like individual consent and autonomy, and informed control over personal care decisions. But, for certain folks in particular (e.g. people experiencing mental health issues; people who use drugs; Indigenous people), and sometimes in certain specific contexts (e.g. psychiatric settings; workplaces; courts; family services), our core health care norms and standards are brushed aside, in favour of mandates, restraints, arbitrariness, stigma, and discrimination. We need to fix this, and I'm pretty sure Health Justice is going to help us do that.

To learn more, visit the Health Justice website.