CBC: Man who died in Edmonton Remand Centre had FASD, should not have been in jail, says mother

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Sylvie Salomon says her adopted son Maxim Baril-Blouin had FASD and needed constant supervision. (Sylvie Salomon)

Sylvie Salomon’s desperate search for her son ended with a phone call Friday morning, informing her that Maxim Baril-Blouin had died in the Edmonton Remand Centre.

“It’s a call that you don’t even think is real. You think it’s a bad joke, of course. But it was real,” said Salomon, who lives in Whitehorse, Yukon.

The cause of death has not been confirmed by Alberta Justice, but an incident report from the remand centre obtained by CBC News indicates that he died of a drug overdose. 

According to the document, Baril-Blouin consumed fentanyl and carfentanil in the early hours of July 13 and was found unresponsive by his cellmate around 7:15 a.m.

“It’s upsetting because somebody should have watched him,” Salomon told CBC News. “He was all by himself, no care, no supervision. He paid with his life.”

Sylvie Salomon wants to know how her son, Maxim Baril-Blouin, died in the Edmonton Remand Centre last week. 1:22

The 26-year-old had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) and required constant supervision, Salomon said.

She still can’t wrap her mind around the fact that her adopted son had been charged for uttering threats against an employee of the agency responsible for his well-being.

“He should never have been there,” Salomon said of the remand centre. “You don’t put someone with this kind of mental state in jail.”

Court-ordered care

Salomon said she had been trying to locate her son since his arrest on June 19.

She said that for three weeks, Baril-Blouin was transferred back and forth between the Edmonton Remand Centre and the Royal Alexandra Hospital. She knew he was being moved around but was never able to connect with him.

“Everybody kind of said, ‘Don’t worry ma’am, he’s 26,’ ” she said. “That’s unacceptable.”

Maxim Baril-Blouin was diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a child. He was energetic and impulsive, says his mother Sylvie Salomon. (Sylvie Salomon)

 

In 2013, while in Whitehorse, Baril-Blouin had been found not criminally responsible for unrelated offences because of his FASD.

The Yukon Review Board mandated that he live in a supervised environment.

He lived in Nova Scotia and Ontario under the care of different agencies before moving to Stony Plain, Alta., in January, his mother said.

He had his own apartment and the Yukon Review Board paid for services provided to him by an agency in Stony Plain.

The review board had wanted him to have more independence, Salomon said. But Baril-Blouin began sneaking out of his apartment at night to consume drugs and eventually ended up in hospital, she said.

While he was in hospital, his apartment was broken into and damaged, and the agency moved him into a hotel.

“He became very frustrated,” said Salomon. “It’s not what he’s used to. He needs a schedule, he needs to know when things are happening.”

She believes the unstable situation led Baril-Blouin to lash out at staff of the Stony Plain agency. Police were called when he threatened staff, his mother said.

CBC News has seen an email message from the agency to Salomon explaining the circumstances that led to Baril-Blouin’s arrest.

Remand Centre limbo

On July 11, two days before his death, Baril-Blouin pleaded guilty in an Edmonton courtroom to uttering threats.

Maxim Baril-Blouin loved to fish and had recently got his boating licence, says his mother Sylvie Salomon. (Sylvie Salomon)

 

He was sentenced to 30 days in jail, but received credit for time already served in custody, according to Alberta Justice.

At the time of his death, Baril-Blouin was waiting to be taken back to Whitehorse at the review board’s request, Salomon said.

Instead, Salomon brought home Baril-Blouin’s ashes.

“It’s devastating,” she said.

“We are trying to function, because we need answers, we need to keep going.”

She said she’ll keep fighting for better understanding and support for people who suffer from FASD.

“I hope other parents will come forward, and say, ‘It happened to [my child], too,’ because things need to change.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Josee St-Onge

Journalist

 

 

 

 

Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/death-remand-centre-fasd-mental-health-mother-1.4750958

CanFASD: The National FASD Database

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Data image

“This is the first time that Canada has had enough data to begin to really understand our FASD population – we have relied on data from other countries in the past.  Now we can see what the clinical profiles are for our own population affected by prenatal alcohol exposure, what their service needs are, and where and how we can put education, programs, and policies into place to meet the specific needs for Canadians.”

  • Jocelynn Cook, CanFASD Research Lead

CanFASD was recently in the news for its groundbreaking, comprehensive FASD database, the first of its kind in the world. Led by CanFASD Research Lead Dr. Jocelynn Cook, the National FASD Database provides key insights into the profile of Canadians assessed for FASD and highlights the demand for access to FASD clinical services across the country. Earlier this month, CanFASD announced the project in a news release, which was covered by many national news outlets.

The Database provides an integrated and coordinated approach to collecting information and characterizing the FASD population in Canada. Key information is collected on the challenges, strengths, and needs of Canadians who are assessed for FASD across the lifespan.

The Database has been active since the fall of 2016 and now has over 1,100 records from 25 participating clinics across 9 provinces and territories in Canada. Data is collected in a wide variety of areas, including:

  • Referral information
  • Demographics
  • Use of screening tools
  • Living situation
  • Family history of FASD
  • Other prenatal exposures, such as tobacco, cannabis, opioids, and cocaine
  • Sentinel facial features of FASD
  • Specific brain impairments
  • Individual strengths
  • Mental health history
  • Medications
  • Adverse outcomes
  • Formal FASD diagnosis
  • Other diagnoses and health issues
  • Support recommendations

Implications for Practice and Policy

The Database provides a wealth of information which has important implications for FASD policy and service delivery:

  • Gives us a better understanding of the specific difficulties, strengths, and outcomes across the lifespan that are experienced by people with prenatal alcohol exposure
  • Collects information about the demographics of people assessed for FASD, categories of FASD diagnosis, specifics of physical and neurobehavioural test results, and recommendations for interventions
  • Allows us to identify various trends and patterns related to FASD in Canada
  • Provides a structure for active communication and collaboration among all programs in Canada that provide FASD assessment and diagnostic services
  • Allows us to collect important information about individuals who are assessed for FASD but do not receive a diagnosis

“Collection of standardized data on children assessed for neurodevelopmental disorders across the country will provide evidence related to risk factors, interventions, and short and long-term outcomes. Comparisons in diagnoses made per capita and variations or similarity in treatment recommendations across jurisdictions will be highly useful in providing information to governments in developing improved policy and programming. This data will also provide important information to develop effective prevention messaging and interventions and supports for families.”

  • Kathy Unsworth, CanFASD Managing Director

The systematic and country-wide collection of FASD-related information allows us to understand the profile of Canadians with FASD, and better link interventions with areas of need. This information is also critical in helping us to identify gaps in practice and policy to better support individuals with FASD as well as the families and communities that support them.

The National FASD Database is supported by funding from Kids Brain Health Network and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

If your diagnostic clinic is not yet participating in the National FASD Database, we would love to have you join the project. Please contact Kathy Unsworth at kathy.unsworth@canfasd.ca for more information.

Stay tuned for more information as the Database continues to grow!

August 7th, 2018 Meeting Agenda

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Good morning everyone! Hopefully, you are out rocking your red shoes and helping us to educate and support our community in regard to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

Our next meeting date is Tuesday, August 7th, 2018 and we hope to see everyone there! Please click the agenda to download a PDF copy! August 2018 Agenda

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What Forensic Professionals Need to Know About FASD

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This article is from Volume 1, Issue 3: FASD Special Edition of Forensic Scholars Today, a quarterly publication featuring topics from the world of forensic mental health. Click to view or save a PDF of this article.

Line illustration of brain on light blue background

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a permanent, lifelong condition, resulting from exposure to alcohol in utero. Affecting between 2-5% of the population of the United States, FASD is a public health issue that results in impaired social, educational, vocational, and cognitive functioning.

These impairments sometimes result in difficulty functioning in accordance with the standards set forth by the United States criminal justice system. Not only are individuals with FASD significantly more likely to come into contact with law enforcement at some point in their lives, but most individuals with FASD are not diagnosed prior to their entrance into the criminal justice system.

There is currently no consensus as to whether FASD should be treated as a mitigating factor in sentencing or as an aggravating factor related to future dangerousness and the need for incapacitation or long-term supervision. Accurate and reliable screening of this population is, hence, a clinical and research priority.

The following are 12 key points that you are advised to take into consideration when discussing the topic of FASD in the criminal justice system.

  1. Difficult to Detect: Individuals with FASD may be difficult to identify, as morphological signs are not always present and cognitive deficits are difficult to detect using even standardized intelligence measures.
  2. Communication Deficits: Individuals with FASD may have difficulties cooperating with law enforcement officials due to receptive issues that could interfere with interviewing and their understanding of Miranda rights. Further, they may have difficulties assisting legal counsel in the development of a viable defense, resulting in a lack of competency to stand trial and/or understand their sentence.
  3. Superficial Talkativeness: The propensity for individuals diagnosed with FASD to be charming and talkative may lead law enforcement officials, lawyers, and judges to overestimate their level of competence and understanding of proceedings.
  4. Misinterpretation of Callousness: In some cases, behaviors resulting from FASD symptoms can be mistaken as a choice rather than a result of the disorder. The social and cognitive deficits of individuals with FASD may contribute to the misinterpretation of their alleged criminal behavior as premeditated or manipulative.
  5. Learning Problems: Individuals with FASD experience decision-making deficits that make it difficult for them to learn from past experiences and prospectively avoid dangerous people and situations. Such deficits are coupled with impulsivity and an inability to think strategically about decisions. Hence, FASD affects an individual’s ability to understand society’s norms and to behave within those norms.
  6. Inappropriate Sexual Boundaries: Individuals with FASD commonly experience problems with boundary awareness that result in inappropriate sexual encounters.
  7. Poor Memory: Individuals with FASD have significant problems in retrieving and communicating their memories, contributing to issues such as confabulation, false testimony, and false confession. The characteristic suggestibility of these individuals combined with a wish to please others may result in fabricating stories or overrepresenting abilities.
  8. Executive Functioning Deficits: Individuals with FASD have significant problems with attention, planning, and following social rules, resulting in a higher likelihood of contact with the criminal justice system and difficulties in complying with the requirements of community supervision (e.g., probation and parole).
  9. False Confession: Individuals with FASD experience social and cognitive deficits that result in disproportionately higher risk of false confession during interrogation and mistaken pleas during trial.
  10. Importance of Structure: Individuals with FASD perform better in well-structured settings with established schedules and behavioral norms. However, dynamic settings with less structure tend to result in considerable stress.
  11. Importance of Simplicity: Individuals with FASD perform better when tackling one task at a time, especially when tasks do not involve reliance on previous experience to complete.
  12. Problems With Treatment Adherence: Individuals with FASD may require specialized treatment given their social and cognitive deficits. However, treatment may be discontinued if not legally mandated.

As a permanent form of brain injury, FASD cannot be cured, only managed. And an essential first step in the management of FASD is its accurate and reliable measurement. This said, there is currently a lack of validated FASD screening instruments for use with forensic populations, especially adult offenders. Law enforcement, forensic mental health, correctional, and legal professionals are encouraged to work with researchers in this regard to help collect data that may aid to fill this important void.

Biographies

Jerrod Brown, M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is the Treatment Director at Pathways Counseling Center, Inc. Pathways provides programs and services benefiting individuals impacted by mental illness and addictions. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS), and the lead developer and program director of an online graduate degree program in Forensic Mental Health from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota. Jerrod is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology.

Jay P. Singh, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized researcher, author, public speaker, and educator in the field of forensic mental health. Having published over 45 journal articles, books, and chapters on research conducted in over 50 countries, Dr. Singh has lectured at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Singh is Professor of Epidemiology & Violence Risk Assessment at Molde University College in Norway.

Retrieved from https://online.csp.edu/blog/forensic-scholars-today/fasd-forensic-professionals

In The News: Breaking the cycle, Edmonton woman plans alcohol-free parties at local clubs

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CBC News ·

Kaitie Degen is the founder of Sober Saturdayz. (Supplied by Kaitie Degen)

 

As a child, Katie Degen knew what alcohol abuse looked like. 

Her mother, who had struggled with addictions since age 15, found she was unable to care for her daughters, and sent them to live with grandparents in Kelowna. 
The grandparents, unable to afford both girls, placed Degen in foster care, where her unstable life continued. 
Drinking alcohol was “just something that always kind of went hand in hand with me throughout my life,” Degen said in an interview Friday with CBC Radio’s Edmonton AM.

Now 26, Degen said she knew she wanted to break the cycle.

“When I first started drinking less, I just really didn’t know what to do during the day,” she said. “I just would wait around until the night.” 

Sober Saturdayz

Degen is the founder of Sober Saturdayz, an initiative she’s introducing in Edmonton with an event at El Cortez on Aug. 25 (tickets for the event can be purchased online). 

She got the idea of organizing alcohol-free parties at venues across the city from her own friends. 

Kaitie Degen, pictured with her dog, started Sober Saturdayz because she wanted to live a more productive life and help others to do the same. (Supplied by Kaitie Degen)

 

“We all have this frustration,” she explained. “We wanted to socialize, but it had come to a point where we just didn’t know how to socialize without booze or substances.

“You can’t just be staying up late drinking every night for the rest of your life.” 

Degen, studying acupuncture at Reeves College, said support for the initiative was almost overwhelming at first, then began to dwindle. 

“What I realized is, people kind of have created this social anxiety without booze,” Degen said. 

She said she found people feared they would be left out if they didn’t imbibe. 

Redefining sober 

Through Sober Saturdayz, Degen hopes to redefine what it means to be sober. 

“You don’t have to be totally sober all the time,” she said. “Sobriety is personal. It’s different for everyone.” 

To Degen, sobriety is more about managing consumption.

“There really is no one to teach you how to use alcohol and things like that,” she said. “You’re told not to use it your whole life, and all of a sudden, OK, you can use it, and people binge. And then it gets to a point where it’s like suddenly, it’s a problem.” 

While Sober Saturdayz are intended to be alcohol-free, Degen said she hopes they offer people the confidence to make decisions about their own limits. 

Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/kaitie-degen-sober-saturdayz-1.4745501

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Our Participation in the K-Days Parade

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We have received the details concerning our participation in the K-Days Parade! If you have registered to walk with EFAN please take note of some important details!

  • We are entry #114
  • Please be at our assigned area not later than 9:30 am.
  • Access to our entry point is at 104 Ave and 105 St. Parking will be limited.
  • Please plan accordingly to park and walk to our meeting point.
  • The staging area will be on 108th street, and we line up according to our number (so look for #114)!
  • The event goes rain or shine so please dress for the weather.
  • Don’t forget to wear your shirt, hat, red shoes, umbrella, and whistle.
  • Bring water and snacks.
  • We cannot stop during the parade, a forward motion must be maintained!
  • The parade starts around 108 st and travels down Jasper Ave to 101 St (approximately 1.4 km).
  • If you have any question please email Lisa at lisa@rogozinsky.org
  • If you need assistance the morning of the parade please text Lisa at 780-919-0354

For more details about the parade please check out the Entrants Parade Day Manual: 2018 K-Days Parade – Entrants Parade Day Manual

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A Day in the Life of a Child With Executive Functioning Issues

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Some kids have a really tough time getting organized and starting tasks. Planning, focusing and using working memory can be big challenges too. Use this visual guide to see how executive functioning issues can affect a child’s daily life.

By The Understood Team

Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/executive-functioning-issues/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-child-with-executive-functioning-issues

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