A coroner’s jury reviewing the death of a mother following a house fire in Coquitlam has made 16 recommendations.
Colette Salemink was 59 when her mentally ill son Blake set the fire in April of 2010 while he was on leave from a psychiatric facility.
The 23-year old who suffers from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder was later found not criminally responsible.
Recommendations made to police, the provincial government and Fraser Health Authority include:
-better coordination when dealing with the mentally ill
-more training for police officers
-stronger rules for keeping unbalanced patients instituted
-expanding the definition of domestic violence to include parents
-and integrate record-keeping between hospitals, psychiatric and community health facilities
The final recommendation is to have a focus group study best practices already in place across North America for mentally ill patients granted extended leaves.
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