B.C. needs a Minister of Mental Health.
That is one of 23 recommendations coming from the all-party Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth in its unanimous report issued last week.
“The committee felt there needed to be one place for accountability to drive the integrated approach and get the funding that’s necessary at the cabinet table,” said Doug Donaldson, MLA for Stikine, and deputy chair of the committee. “There are so many different agencies and ministries that are part of the puzzle so we think having one entry point will be a lot easier.”
Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre executive director Nancy Gale made a presentation to the standing committee as it met with various individuals and organizations over the last two years.
“I talked about some of the work the Cariboo Regional District did identifying mental health gaps and talked about what needs to happen next, particularly for children who live in rural communities,” Gale said.
Another recommendation in the report is a 30-day window for assessment and another 30 days for treatment.
“In some of the horrific cases we’ve learned about recently there’s been too long of a delay,” Donaldson said. “I’m not exactly happy about 60 days, but it will be better than what we’ve had and could help prevent kids from falling through the cracks.”
When the legislature resumes on Feb. 9, the report will be presented for adoption and Donaldson is hoping the recommendations will be implemented.
“It would be a good thing because as the report says, children and youth are suffering as a result of significant weaknesses in the system and that’s a disservice,” Donaldson said. “We in the northern and rural areas really understand those gaps in services.”
The committee’s recommendations are the result of two years of work and public consultations with individuals, experts, and organizations involved in the delivery of child and youth mental health services.
“We heard that there are some excellent child and youth mental health programs, but there is a need for concrete actions for changes that would provide greater co-ordination, better accessibility, and improved service delivery to meet the needs of children, youth, and their families,” said committee chair Jane Thornthwaite.
The committee’s report is available at: bit.ly/1P4tsho.