Vice Reporting on Gerstein Centre Mobile Crisis Teams – August 19 2020

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Anita Szigeti

I was quoted extensively in this amazing piece by Rachel Browne on the Gerstein Centre’s non-coercive mobile crisis response here:

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pkywg7/this-crisis-team-has-handled-mental-health-calls-without-toronto-cops-for-30-years

“If I had a dollar for every time I said ‘Call the Gerstein…,’” said Toronto mental health lawyer Anita Szigeti, who frequently refers clients there. “They’re not going to be forced-hospitalized, they’re not going to be forced-treated. They’re not going to be abused. They’re going to retain some autonomy.”

“The reality of psychiatric hospitalization for most inpatients, particularly when they’re acutely in crisis, is an extremely violent and invasive experience, and it imprints on their memory” said Szigeti, the mental health lawyer.

“When the threat of coercion and that fear of violence is removed from the interaction, people can actually engage and de-escalate.”

Unknown's avatar

About Anita Szigeti

• Called to the Bar (1992) • U of T Law grad (1990) • Sole practitioner (33 years) • Partner in small law firm (Hiltz Szigeti) 2002 - 2013 • Mom to two astonishing kids, Scarlett (20+) and Sebastian (20-) • (Founding) Chair of Mental Health Legal Committee for ten years (1997 to 2007) * Founding President of Law and Mental Disorder Association - LAMDA since 2017 * Founder and Secretary to Women in Canadian Criminal Defence - WiCCD - since 2022 • Counsel to clients with serious mental health issues before administrative tribunals and on appeals • Former Chair, current member of LAO’s mental health law advisory committee • Educator, lecturer, widely published author (including 5 text books on consent and capacity law, Canadian civil mental health law, the criminal law of mental disorder, a law school casebook and a massive Anthology on all things mental health and the law) • Thirty+ years’ experience as counsel to almost exclusively legally aided clients • Frequently appointed amicus curiae • Fearless advocate • Not entirely humourless
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a comment