Mental illness no longer a significant barrier to job acquisition

Disclosure of non-violent mental health-related interactions with police will no longer be visible on background checks for job interviews in Ontario, Canada, according to CTV. The Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police established the new standards this week. Mary Alberti, CEO for the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, hopes the guidelines will improve job prospects for the mentally ill or someone who suffered a mental breakdown. "When somebody has had that kind of (mental health crisis) situation, they could be personally embarrassed that that would be disclosed," she told the news source. "They might not pursue a volunteer opportunity or an employment opportunity." Dr. Rohan Ganguli of the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health adds that any disadvantage people with mental illness or addiction problems may have encountered prior to these provisions has been eliminated. The Globe and Mail reports that under the modified provisions, violent incidents that didn't involve a criminal case will be disclosed to employers where workers deal with vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly or the disabled. However, the records won't specify if the incident was due to a mental illness.