History
A history of forensic psychiatry
The history of the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal is closely tied to the history of forensic psychiatry in Quebec and Canada. Below is a timeline of its major milestones.
Before Pinel
1927
Creation of the Bordeaux Asylum for Insane Prisoners, which takes violent or criminalized psychiatric patients from Quebec hospitals.
1935
The Bordeaux prison houses 350 patients, whose number will reach 1137 in 1959. The prison acts almost as an emergency psychiatric ward for difficult patients. For many despairing families with no treatment options for a loved one with problematic behaviour, the only recourse is having the individual arrested under a "technical" charge and then hospitalized at Bordeaux.
From prison to hospital
1961
The Commission Bédard, a study commission on psychiatric hospitals, recommends the construction of a maximum security psychiatric hospital.
1962
Health and government authorities describe the situation for psychiatric patients as deplorable. The Ministère de la Santé du Québec sets up a committee comprising Drs. Lucien Panaccio, Bruno M. Cormier and Camille Laurin to devise a modern hospital where treatment is adapted to the needs of patients and provided in a more appropriate environment.
1963
The Quebec government decides to build a maximum security psychiatric hospital to replace the Bordeaux psychiatric hospital.
1964
Creation of the Corporation de l'Institut Philippe-Pinel.
Architects, engineers, psychiatrists and security specialists pool their resources to give the health care network a hospital with an innovative mission.
1965
Construction begins on the new hospital that will become the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal.
1969
Dr. Lionel Béliveau becomes the first director of the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal. Dr. Béliveau goes on to inspire the staff for 30 years while implementing a philosophy of care and service that is unique in Quebec.
An institute of caring and understanding
1970
Opening of the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal. The hospital has 292 beds and offers a complete range of specialized services to treat and rehabilitate psychiatric patients considered to be particularly difficult. The Institut takes patients from all Quebec regions, from penal institutions and even from other health care network establishments.
1971
February 4 marks the Institut's official inauguration.
1972
Opening of the first psycho-legal consultation units.
Opening of a unit for adolescents.
1976
Affiliation agreement with the Université de Montréal.
1979
Opening of a treatment unit for individuals presenting sexual deviance disorders.
Developing consultation services
1983
Creation of the Centre de consultation externe en psychiatrie légale (CCEPL), which in 1988 will become the Centre de psychiatrie légale de Montréal (CPLM).
1985
At the initiative of the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, the International Academy of Law and Mental Health is created and comprises hundreds of members from every continent.
Opening of a unit for women.
1988
Opening of the Centre de psychiatrie légale de Montréal (CPLM). The CPLM offers forensic psychiatry services in partnership with three Ministries: Sécurité publique, Justice and Santé et services sociaux. It also offers assessment and treatment services in sexual offending.
Creation of the Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal's Dangerousness Clinic, which offers psychiatric consulting services to partners in the health care network.
Implementation of the Diogène program developed by the Institut and the Canadian Mental Health Association to provide community follow-up to patients with legal problems, mental disorders or homelessness issues.
New developments
1996
Opening of the first mixed-gender unit.
1997
Creation of the UPS-Justice to improve the organization and provision of services to forensic psychiatric patients in Montréal's Centre-Sud sector.
1998
Opening of the transition unit, thereby allowing patients to develop and improve even further their ability to live in the community.
1999
Departure of Dr. Lionel Béliveau.
New perspectives
2001
First international Francophone convention on sexual assault spearheaded by the Institut in Quebec. This convention allows professionals in the field to share various practices.
2004
Opening of an assessment and treatment unit for women suffering from mental disorders and who are incarcerated in Canadian penitentiaries.
2007
Opening of the cyberpsychology laboratory.