OVERVIEW
CIAJ’s Conference on Addiction, Mental Health, and the Law will delve into the complex interplay between substance abuse, mental health issues, and the justice system. This event will bring together experts from various disciplines and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers to examine the multifaceted challenges faced by courts, law enforcement, treatment providers, policymakers, as well as communities, families, and individuals.
Key questions to be addressed include: How do mental health issues, addiction, and criminality interact and influence each other? What are the most effective approaches to treating individuals struggling with addiction? How do substance abuse and mental illness complicate treatment and intervention? Why are these issues becoming more prevalent and difficult to manage? What role do harm reduction policies play, and can they be integrated with effective public safety measures? How do treatment courts fit into the broader justice landscape, and are the tools provided by the Criminal Code adequate for addressing these challenges?
Join us as we explore these pressing questions and discuss necessary changes to better address the challenges at the intersection of addiction, mental health, and the law.
Bilingual program with simultaneous interpretation.
Participation in this program is accredited in provinces where CLE requirements for lawyers are mandatory.
Participation in this program is approved under Section 41 (1) of the Judges Act.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Guy Felicella, International Speaker
Guy Felicella is an international speaker and advocate for drug policy reform. Overcoming a two-decade substance use disorder, he has turned his life around after years of homelessness, gang involvement, and surviving overdoses in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Now, Guy passionately promotes harm reduction, trauma therapy, and faster access to treatment, using his story of resilience and recovery to inspire others and push for compassionate drug policies and addiction support.