Health Justice Society

The Health Justice Society is a Canadian nonprofit organization registered under the Business Registration Number 740440474RR0001. It operates as a registered charity focused on advocating for the rights and dignity of individuals experiencing mental health and substance use challenges in British Columbia (BC).

Mission and Objectives

Health Justice Society works to shape a mental health and substance use system in BC that supports the dignity and human rights of the people who use it. Its core mission is to improve laws and policies governing coercive healthcare—particularly involuntary mental health and substance use treatment—through research, education, and advocacy. The organization is deeply rooted in the lived experiences of those directly impacted by coercive mental health systems, emphasizing the importance of human rights and self-determination in healthcare settings.

Vision

The society envisions a BC where every person can access dignified and effective healthcare that respects their human rights. It advocates that self-determination is essential on the path to wellness and that everyone has access to the supports needed to exercise this right. The organization promotes that coercive healthcare should only be imposed as a last resort and that individuals experiencing it must have the necessary services to ensure their voices are heard during treatment.

Key Areas of Work

• Legal and Policy Reform: Health Justice Society focuses on modernizing laws such as the Mental Health Act, which currently permits detention and psychiatric treatment without consent, seeking to reduce coercion and improve equity in mental health systems.

• Advocacy and Education: The organization uses its resources to shift power imbalances within healthcare by addressing systemic stigma and discriminatory assumptions embedded in policies.

• Research-Informed Practices: Their approach includes rigorous research to inform advocacy efforts and ensure that reforms reflect the needs and rights of people with lived experience.

Impact and Recognition

The organization is recognized as a valuable contributor to the mental health discourse in BC, with support from funders like the Vancouver Foundation. Health Justice Society's work is acknowledged for addressing the root causes of stigma and inequality in mental healthcare by targeting systemic and policy-level changes rather than focusing solely on individual-level interventions.

Summary

Health Justice Society represents a critical voice in Canadian mental health advocacy, working to ensure systems serve the rights and dignity of those they impact. By promoting policies centered on self-determination and minimizing coercion in mental health treatment, the society aims to foster a more equitable and respectful healthcare environment in British Columbia.

This article is based on information from Health Justice Society's registrations and publicly available descriptions of its mission and activities.

[1] https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/health-justice-society/ [2] https://mycharityfund.ca/charity/106000/health-justice-society [3] https://www.instagram.com/healthjusticeca/ [4] https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/featured-funded-projects/health-justice-why-tackling-mental-health-stigma-should-start-with-policy-change/ [5] https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/publichealth/healthequity/orgs