Editor's note: Ms Hamilton refers to the issues raised in this story
Man arrested after social worker viciously attacked
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It really was just a matter of time.
The responsibility for the violent and tragic event that occurred at the King Street Clinic falls squarely on the shoulders of the CEOs and upper management of the NBRHC and Nipissing Mental Health as well as the members of the Mayor’s Round table.
These are the people that make the decisions and set up protocols in our mental health and addictions facilities, these are the people, for the most part, who have no idea what working the frontline in this field involves. These are the people that completely ignore frontline workers’ concerns and pleas for increased staffing and security over and over again. These are the people that pat themselves on the back and blow their own horns and take every opportunity to stand in front of the TV camera and tell the community that they are compassionate and caring.
In reality, despite all their photo ops setting up beds in an empty Low Barrier Shelter, they are simply putting their own frontline workers and their clients at risk to inflate their own egos and paycheques. These are NOT the people dealing with the consequences of their unqualified decision making.
Sadly, the frontline workers and the clients are left to deal with that.
North Bay has seen a significant increase in homeless people arriving in our city, often for the sole purpose of using our Low Barrier Shelter.
Our frontline workers are overwhelmed and expected to do more and more to accommodate the influx of homeless people. Often frontline workers have no idea who they are dealing with because the homeless rarely arrive from out of town with their criminal arrest history or mental health diagnosis in hand. As a result, workers are forced to assist even though they are short-staffed with little or no security, and sometimes, little training in how to deescalate a potentially serious situation.
The reality is this: North Bay cannot accommodate its own homeless population let alone the homeless from other communities and because of the hubris of local CEOs, managers, and the Mayor’s Round Table recommendations, a frontline worker has been assaulted and a client charged.
The Mayor and his CEO friends should not be allowed to set up these programs to boost numbers to secure increased funding, which will ultimately boost their own paycheques, on the backs of the people who are actually putting themselves out there, the people who really are compassionate and caring human beings.
Rita Hamilton
North Bay
