Concurrent Session I: Mental Illness and Emergency Dispatch
Tuesday, November 16: 13:00 - 14:00
Speaker: Jocelyn Lymburner, Consultant, Clincial Psychology
Session Description: The Canadian Mental Health Association reports that approximately 1 in 5 people in Canada will suffer from a mental disorder. A 2005 BC study found that over 30% of persons with serious mental illness had contact with police while making, or trying to make, their first contact with the mental health system. It is clear that, increasingly, emergency dispatchers are receiving calls from individuals in elevated states of anxiety, depression, mania, psychosis, and intoxication. A number of these calls involve angry, aggressive, violent, suicidal, self-harming, dangerous or severely disturbed behaviour. This one hour session provides a practical introduction to common symptoms of mental disorders as well as practical tips on how to manage calls of this nature. Increased knowledge of mental illness is essential in managing risk and paving the way for appropriate and compassionate care.
Speaker Bio: Dr. Jocelyn Lymburner has taught clinical psychology at the undergraduate and graduate level for over a decade. She has been the recipient of national and provincial research grants and has presented her work internationally. Jocelyn consults and offers workshops on DSM IV mental disorders and on mental strategies for performance enhancement to a wide variety of audiences including WorkSafe BC employees, fitness specialists, educators, police officers, and sheriffs. In addition to her role as an educator, Jocelyn is a Registered Clinical Psychologist. She has training and expertise in the assessment and treatment of adults and has worked in a variety of settings including outpatient and inpatient psychiatric facilities, correctional settings, medical-legal contexts, and in private practice. Through her forensic work, Jocelyn has had extensive experience in the assessment and management of violence and suicide risk.