Killer of mental health worker had history of unprovoked staff attacks, inquiry told
CAMROSE Existing resources can’t help about 50 mentally disabled people in Alberta, a fatality inquiry into the 2011 slaying of mental health worker Valerie Wolski heard Tuesday.
Two staff members of the Centennial Centre for Mental Health and Brain Injury who took care of Terrance Saddleback five times between 2004 and 2010 described how he was often aggressive toward his caregivers and was unable to care for himself.
Kirk Lambrecht, a member of the fatality inquiry counsel, read out notes written by staff at the facility detailing multiple incidents when Saddleback lunged at female caregivers. The unprovoked attacks included grabbing and pulling them by the hair.
“He was on a lot of antipsychotic medications,” testified Dr. Thomas Malcolm Campbell, a Centennial Centre physician. The centre was formerly Alberta Hospital Ponoka.
Saddleback was often given strong medication to control his agitation, said Campbell, who was Saddleback’s primary care doctor at the centre between the fall of 2008 and December 2010, when he was discharged into the care of the Camrose branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Before Saddleback was discharged for the last time from the centre, it was “made clear” to People With Developmental Disabilities, a government agency that pairs patients with service providers such as the mental health association, that he needed to be moved to a facility with staff, Campbell said.
Wolski, 41, an employee of the mental health association in Camrose, was the lone caregiver for Saddleback when she was found dead in a house on Feb. 12, 2011.
Saddleback, who has a catastrophic brain injury and suffered psychotic episodes — was charged with manslaughter in the death of Wolski. Charges were dropped after he was found not fit to stand trial following a psychiatric assessment. He remains in Alberta Hospital Edmonton.
Housing Saddleback, and other patients with complex care requirements, in a residential home could put staff and the patients at risk, Campbell said.
“I would say there’s a deficiency in the system of care now in dealing with this group of complex care individuals,” Dr. Douglas Urness, a Centennial Centre psychiatrist, told the inquiry.
There are about 50 people with severe developmental disabilities across Alberta who cannot have their needs met with existing resources, Urness said.
“The process for planning, designing such an alternate system of care now has to be done from a fresh perspective, unencumbered, I think, by the existing viewpoints.”
Lambrecht asked Campbell whether the Centennial Centre conveyed any risks associated with caring for Saddleback to the mental health association.
“I don’t remember delineating any of those particular incidents,” Campbell said of Saddleback’s violent episodes, but added that a social worker and clinical co-ordinator in his team did “let them know our level of dealings with them and how we handle our incidents.”
The clinical co-ordinator and three social workers from the Centennial Centre are scheduled to testify Wednesday.
“I think we need a much more integrated system,” Campbell said when asked for any recommendations to prevent staff from being harmed.
There needs to be more communication between agencies in the future, above and beyond People With Developmental Disabilities relaying transfer of information to service providers, Campbell said.
The fatality inquiry is expected to last until June 24. About 35 witnesses are expected to testify.
The purpose of a fatality inquiry is not to establish criminal responsibility, but to allow the judge an opportunity to make recommendations to prevent future deaths.