Desmond Investigation: Health Professionals Failed to Share Information Before Killings – Halifax | The Canadian News

A domestic violence expert says lack of collaboration among health professionals was an “overwhelming issue” in the tragic case of Lionel Desmond, a former Nova Scotia soldier who killed himself and three family members in 2017 .

Dr. Peter Jaffe, a psychologist at Western University in London, Ontario, said in a provincial investigation today that there is evidence showing that psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and others did not share critical information about Desmond’s mental decline in 2016.

It’s a topic that has come up multiple times during the investigation, which began hearings in January 2020 and is expected to end before the end of this year.

Jaffe says the Afghan war veteran had contact with 40 mental health professionals from the time he was diagnosed with PTSD while still in the military in 2011 until his last days in 2017.

The psychologist told the investigation that most professionals focused on Desmond’s potential for suicide and overlooked or ignored multiple warning signs indicating he was at high risk of killing his wife and family.

Additionally, Jaffe said that patient confidentiality should never hinder the sharing of information when there is a risk of harm.

“Throughout the file, I see a theme that we see in our death review cases in Ontario, which is lack of collaboration: people working in silos, they don’t share information, they don’t get together,” said Jaffe, co-founder of the Center for Research and Education on Violence against Women and Children.

“And there was a lack of risk assessment and a lack of planning as an overwhelming issue.”

Among his recommendations for the research, Jaffe called for more public education on domestic violence and more education for front-line professionals to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest information.

Additionally, Jaffe said the Canadian Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada must ensure that high-risk cases are flagged for immediate follow-up and appropriately shared with community partners.

Other recommendations include establishing a Nova Scotia domestic violence death review committee and improving the use of risk assessment tools used by the police.

In his report to the investigation, Jaffe noted that Nova Scotia already has a high-risk case coordination protocol for police, but opportunities to use it were missed in Desmond’s case.

This Canadian Press report was first published on November 4, 2021.