The mother of a 13-year-old girl who killed herself in 2017 is regarding to obtain the radiation for four months from a psychologist who failed to prevent her suicide. However, she had to file a private complaint once morest the professional, because the syndic of her order closed his investigation without pursuing her before the disciplinary council.
To obtain justice, the child’s mother hired a lawyer and paid $11,900 for a report on behavior by psychologist Annie Moreau, from the CISSS des Laurentides.
The professional ended up pleading guilty on March 10 to charges of not having practiced her profession according to the rules of the art. In particular, she failed to put in place a security plan to protect the young Lili Homier.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY FAMILY
Lili Homer
The parties have agreed to a four-month disbarment and a permanent ban from practicing with children under 14 years of age. The psychologist also agrees to reimburse the costs of the expertise incurred by her parents.
Everything suggests that the Disciplinary Committee will endorse the joint proposal of the parties.
The document that the psycho-legal expert Frédéric Laterrière produced for the family raises questions regarding the work of the trustee in the case.
The settlement of the dispute by a confidential agreement “does not shed light on the professional practice of the psychologist Moreau in this file”, he writes. “We assess that the breaches of professional standards are major because simple and reasonable means were not implemented by the psychologist to help her client go through a period of psychological distress (with suicidal thoughts and threats). »
Mother Fanie Charbonneau, a speech therapist, expressed her deep disappointment with the actions of the Syndic of the Order. “Given the dynamic presented by this teenager when making contact with her parents, as a professional in the health network for nearly 30 years and a member of a professional order, I find it extremely worrying, disappointing and unfair that these serious breaches of standards of practice in psychology did not lead the syndic to file a complaint with the disciplinary council from the outset. »
Confidential Agreement
She says she began in 2018 a “real obstacle course” to shed light on the work of the psychologist, by first requesting an investigation from the syndic of her order. But in May 2019, the organization concluded “a confidential agreement” with Annie Moreau. There would be no prosecution before the Disciplinary Board.
PHOTO FROM ANNIE MOREAU’S LINKEDIN PAGE
Psychologist Annie Moreau has accepted a four-month strike proposal.
“We did not understand the reason for this confidential agreement and the role of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec,” says Fanie Charbonneau. She and her spouse only learned on March 10 that the trustee had imposed additional training on Annie Moreau and 16-hour supervision by another psychologist.
Lili’s parents requested a review of the file in 2019, without success. “All the doors were closed,” laments the mother.
In his report, the expert Laterrière nevertheless notes the inconsistency of Annie Moreau’s practice.
The topics covered follow one another without a common thread as to the initial reasons for consultation. They go in all directions, resulting in superficial and potentially inadequate psychological treatment.
Frédéric Laterrière, psycho-legal expert, in his report on the behavior of the psychologist
According to the expert Laterrière, “issues related to a risk of suicidal passage were minimized by the psychologist”.
Lili’s parents had asked for her hospitalization in psychiatry. Without success. According to the expert, such a measure might have helped the child to “get through his suicidal crisis”.
“Rules of the art respected”, according to the Order
In the circumstances, how can one explain that the syndic did not see fit to bring the case before the disciplinary council?
The president of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec (OPQ), Christine Groulx, first wishes to say that “her thoughts are with the family”.
However, she defends the decision of the watchdog of the profession. “I asked the trustee questions. The investigation is confidential, but I can tell you that here, the procedures and rules of the art in the investigation were well respected. »
The parents’ lawyer, Claude Leduc, does not believe anything.
In cases like Lili’s, in my humble opinion, the task of protecting the public is not fulfilled.
Claude Leduc, lawyer for the parents of Lili Homier
He also wonders if situations of this kind often occur. “We don’t know how many cases like this have ended up in the same circumstances, without a disciplinary complaint filed,” he notes.
A child as gifted as troubled
Her voice choking with emotion in front of the council, Fanie Charbonneau paid tribute to her dead child, “extremely quick-witted, creative, original, sneering, passionate regarding reading, music and improvisation”. “She spoke with a rich and varied vocabulary. She had a phenomenal memory, amazing abstraction skills. »
From her early childhood, however, Lili began to show “cognitive rigidity, anxiety”, and over time, symptoms of depression, which became more and more serious from the age of 11. Then high school and bullying made it worse.
In 2016, her daughter began follow-up at the CLSC de Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, within a team comprising a social worker, a psychiatrist and psychologist Annie Moreau, met 39 times.
His situation deteriorated at the beginning of the 2e secondary, in September 2017. Lili asked to see her psychologist every week, but Annie Moreau felt that the monthly meetings were enough.
At that time, the teenager expressed however suicidal thoughts. “My child told me she had a plan,” said Fanie Charbonneau. She then tried to alert Annie Moreau. “But she wasn’t returning our calls. »
In November 2017, Lili took action by ending her life.
Met by The Press at the end of the hearing, Annie Moreau expressed her regrets, as she had already done before the committee. “I really would have liked to support this child better,” she says. I am very sorry. Losing a child is one of the most serious things that can happen. »
An earlier version of this text mistakenly attributed to the psycho-legal expert Frédéric Laterrière comments by the mother, Fanie Charbonneau, criticizing the decisions of the syndic of the OPQ in this case. He also mentioned that the mother had requested the placement of her daughter under the protection of the DPJ, whereas she had rather requested her hospitalization in psychiatry. Our apologies.
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If you need support, if you are having suicidal thoughts or if you are worried regarding someone close to you, call 1 866 APPELLE (1 866 277-3553). A suicide prevention worker is available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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- Only one private complaint like that of Fanie Chabonneau was received by the disciplinary council in 2021-2022.
Source: annual report of the Order of Psychologists of Quebec, 2021-2022
