Nova Scotia Moms for Compassionate, Collaborative Mental Health Care

The Nova Scotia Moms for Compassionate, Collaborative Mental Health Care

Summary of our work over the past two years

It has been two years since a group of Nova Scotia mothers and their families began advocating for better, collaborative, and compassionate mental health care for all Nova Scotians. The following is a summary of our work over the past two years.

Why We Came Together

Every time Nancy Saunders tried to help her son access mental health care, she hit a wall. When she saw he was struggling, she called the provincial mental health intake line, desperate to get him an appointment. When she feared his medication wasn’t working, she reached out to their family doctor. But no one would speak to her.

“They told me I couldn’t speak to them because my son was an adult and had to call for help himself. It was the law,” she said.

But Ben couldn’t ask for help. His illness made it impossible to navigate the system alone. “He didn’t know who to go to or how to ask for help,” Nancy said. “No one would give me information. No one offered me help as his caregiver. Not once did anyone tell me about the Nova Scotia Circle of Care or Circle of Support—or that once a child turns 12, parents need their consent just to speak to a health-care professional. It’s the law.”

Eventually, Ben did find the strength to call the intake line himself. He was booked for an appointment four months later. Unable to advocate for himself, Ben accepted the wait.

His illness escalated to a crisis before that appointment ever came. He died by suicide in 2023. He was 29.

Ben’s story is not unique. It reflects a tragic and common reality: families and caregivers are often shut out of the system precisely when their loved ones need help the most.

This is what brought us together—and what fuels our advocacy.

Our call to action is not about violating privacy or autonomy. It’s about recognizing that mental illness such as severe depression, psychosis, and the symptom of anosognosia can impair a person’s ability to recognize they are ill. It’s about understanding that some mental illnesses cause individuals to become suspicious of or angered by those trying to help them.

Medications used to treat some mental and even physical illnesses can also increase the risk of suicidal ideation and psychotic side effects when there are underlying conditions, when mixed with other drugs, or when they are not taken according to clinicians’ instructions. When these things happen, families and caregivers should be able to ask for help on their behalf, provide vital information to health care professionals for a more thorough diagnosis and treatment plan, and have access to advice and services that support the entire family unit.

Our Work in 2024

In 2024, we shared our stories in numerous local and national media interviews, attended sessions at the Nova Scotia Legislature, and met with Opposition parties, MLAs, Ministers, hospital CEOs, academics, mental health professionals, and advocacy organizations across Canada.

We delivered presentations to:

  • Halifax Board of Police Commissioners
  • Family Alliance on Severe Mental Illnesses (FASMI)
  • Canadian Mental Health Association (National Office and Yorkville, Ontario Branch)
  • Family Support Group of NS Early Psychosis Program (NSEPP)
  • Hope4Mental Health
  • Nova Scotia’s “Train the Trainers – Crisis Response” (clinicians and first responders)

We also consulted with mental health advocates in Manitoba, who successfully pushed for legislative changes allowing clinicians to consult with families—without the patient’s consent— when a person is at serious risk of harm due to mental illness.

On International Suicide Prevention Day (September 10, 2024), we organized a media conference at the Nova Scotia Legislature. Working with members of the Opposition and an Independent MLA, we helped introduce bills focused on legislative changes and new measures to ensure community-based, collaborative mental health care for all Nova Scotians.

Meanwhile, families continued grassroots advocacy from Yarmouth to Truro to Halifax. We serve as peer supporters, speak at local events, share our stories to raise awareness, offer programs and services in our communities, and continue to blog and post on social media.

Our Work in 2025

In early 2025, we began collaborating with the Office of Addictions and Mental Health, the Department of Health and Wellness, Nova Scotia Health, and the IWK Health Centre to advance four key goals we introduced last year:

  1. Amend privacy legislation to enable timely, appropriate communication between clinicians and trusted family members or caregivers.
  2. Launch a public education campaign to clarify how consent works under Nova Scotia’s “Circle of Care” and “Circle of Support.”
  3. Expand trauma-informed care and communication training.
  4. Expand public education to help communities recognize mental health struggles before a crisis.

On October 3, 2025, the amendment to PHIA 38(1)(d) was passed. When proclaimed on April 1, 2026, it will provide clinicians with greater ability to communicate with caregivers when their loved one is too ill to advocate for themselves.

We’ve been encouraged by this amendment and by ongoing trauma-informed dialogue with government rooted in empathy and a shared desire to improve the system.

In the spirit of collaboration, we continue to share our stories and learnings with other provinces and organizations across Canada.