{"id":5032,"date":"2017-11-08T20:21:44","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T20:21:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.oykhmancriminaldefence.com\/?page_id=5032"},"modified":"2025-12-31T00:29:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T07:29:43","slug":"mental-health-diversion","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/mental-health-diversion\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Diversion"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 fusion-flex-container nonhundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255,255,255,0);background-position: center center;background-repeat: no-repeat;border-width: 0px 0px 0px 0px;border-color:#e2e2e2;border-style:solid;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row fusion-flex-align-items-flex-start\" style=\"max-width:calc( 1440px + 50px );margin-left: calc(-50px \/ 2 );margin-right: calc(-50px \/ 2 );\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_1 1_1 fusion-flex-column\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-justify-content-flex-start fusion-content-layout-column\" style=\"background-position:left top;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-size:cover;-moz-background-size:cover;-o-background-size:cover;background-size:cover;padding: 0px 0px 0px 0px;\"><style type=\"text\/css\">@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-1{margin-top:10px!important; margin-right:0px!important;margin-bottom:50px!important;margin-left:0px!important;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-title.fusion-title-1{margin-top:10px!important; margin-right:0px!important;margin-bottom:10px!important; margin-left:0px!important;}}<\/style><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-three\" style=\"margin-top:10px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:50px;margin-left:0px;\"><h3 class=\"title-heading-left fusion-responsive-typography-calculated\" style=\"margin:0;--fontSize:24;line-height:1.36;\">How to get treatment for a mental disorder instead of a criminal record<\/h3><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><p>The mental health diversion program is a program available in Edmonton and most major centers throughout Alberta that is designed to assist adults and adolescents (for young persons, see the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/youth-extra-judicial-sanctions\/\">Youth Extra Judicial Sanctions<\/a>\u00a0program) with a mental illness who are charged with minor low-risk offences. The goal of the program is to ensure that those suffering from mental illness receive care and treatment instead of being prosecuted by the criminal justice system. The Mental Health Diversion program is a positive step that helps to address the increasing criminalization of people with mental illness. Accused persons accepted into the program most commonly suffer from schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders as well as mood, adjustment and anxiety disorders. Often a client\u2019s mental illness is made worse by a drug or alcohol addiction. If found eligible for diversion, an individual receives community-based treatment that focuses on the specific mental health, life skill issues, and addictions that may have contributed to the offence.<\/p>\n<p>The diversion program is available for individuals charged with less serious offences where there is a reasonable belief that a person is suffering from a mental disorder. Such offences include things like: theft, fraud, mischief, assault, obstructions, public intoxication. In some cases, other community-based resolution options like the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/alternative-measures-program\/\">Alternative Measures Program<\/a>\u00a0may also be considered. Sometimes, even more serious offences like break and enter,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/assaulting-a-peace-officer-lawyers\/\">assault of a police officer<\/a>, or even various forms of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/domestic-violence-lawyers\/\">domestic violence<\/a>\u00a0can be referred to the program, but this requires unique circumstances and a careful assessment by a criminal defence lawyer.<\/p>\n<p>A mental disorder is a substantial disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation or memory. Our role as criminal defence lawyers is to convince the Crown that a client may suffer from a mental illness and would benefit from treatment instead of being prosecuted and convicted. Once the Crown gives his or her consent, health care workers complete an evaluation. If an accused person meets the internal criteria of the program, a three month court extension will be allotted to complete the treatment. \u00a0We then go to court for a client and ask for a three month adjournment while they receive treatment. After those three months, if treatment has been completed, we again attend court and ask that the charges be withdrawn.<\/p>\n<p>It is our job as a criminal defence lawyers to pursue any and all defences available. If you have been charged with a criminal offence and think you may be eligible for the diversion program,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/contact\/\">please call us<\/a>. Barring unforeseen circumstances if you retain us and successfully complete the mental health diversion program, your charges will be withdrawn (you can also explore other\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.strategiccriminaldefence.com\/edmonton\/criminal-record-resolutions\/\">resolutions to avoid a criminal record<\/a>).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;margin-top : 0px;margin-bottom : 30px;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {padding-top : 0px !important;padding-right : 0px !important;margin-right : 25px;padding-bottom : 0px !important;padding-left : 0px !important;margin-left : 25px;}@media only screen and (max-width:1024px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 25px;margin-left : 25px;}}@media only screen and (max-width:640px) {.fusion-body .fusion-builder-column-0{width:100% !important;order : 0;}.fusion-builder-column-0 > .fusion-column-wrapper {margin-right : 25px;margin-left : 25px;}}<\/style><\/div><\/div><style type=\"text\/css\">.fusion-body .fusion-flex-container.fusion-builder-row-1{ padding-top : 0px;margin-top : 0px;padding-right : 0px;padding-bottom : 0px;margin-bottom : 0px;padding-left : 0px;}<\/style><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mental Health Diversion offers an alternative path for individuals whose charges are linked to mental health challenges. Our lawyers help you access treatment-focused programs that prioritize recovery over punishment, guiding you toward a fair and supportive resolution.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":51233,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5032","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mental Health Diversion Lawyers Edmonton | Strategic Criminal Defence<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Mental Health Diversion program is a positive step that helps to address the increasing criminalization of people with mental illness.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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