According to a new report on BC's Mental Health Act, people being apprehended under the act don't necessarily have to be a harm to themselves or others.
Laura Johnston with the Community Legal Assistance Society headed up the research and says BC's system for detaining individuals with mental health issues is violating their charter rights.
Johnston says despite issues with the system, mental health detentions in B.C. have jumped significantly, while the number of people who are voluntarily admitted has gone down.
"With population increases, you would expect over a decade that the number of voluntary mental health admissions would have increased. But, in face they have not moved anywhere, in fact they have gone slightly down and at the same time the involuntary detention numbers have gone from 11,900 to over 20,000 in a decade."
The report calls for an independent commission to overhaul the Mental Health Act, and makes a number of recommendations, including better training for healthcare providers.