Enhanced Mental Health Services for Children

The provincial government is investing $1 million to establish a Children's Futures Foundation as part of its plan to enhance mental health services for children and youth in Nova Scotia.

"Our sons and daughters are the future of this province," said Francene Cosman, Minister of Community Services. "We will work together with communities, our colleagues throughout government, and other key stakeholders to give Nova Scotia's children and youth the support they need to ensure a healthier tomorrow."

The minister made the announcement today on behalf of the departments of Health, Community Services, Justice, Education, the Youth Secretariat, and the Sport and Recreation Commission. These departments have undertaken a joint plan of action to enhance programs and services to help children, youth and families.

The plan is in response to recommendations of a 1998 report titled A New Step Forward, which was also released today. The report was prepared by regional and provincial working groups who conducted an intensive study of children and youth mental health services. The results emphasize the importance of ensuring equal access to services across the province and the need for a co-ordinated approach to service delivery through the development or strengthening of interdepartmental partnerships.

In its response to the report, the province formally mandated the departments of Health, Community Services, Justice, Education, the Youth Secretariat, and the Sport and Recreation Commission to increase efforts through the Children and Youth Action Committee (CAYAC) to promote healthy child development. The initiatives include:

• Invest $1 million to establish the Children's Futures Foundation administered by a multi-sectoral advisory board reporting to the chair of CAYAC. The foundation will fund, monitor and oversee the evaluation of demonstration projects that promote healthy child development. Examples of targeted services include parent education, infant screening, early identification and intervention services, youth health centres and programs serving families with children with special needs.

The foundation will also be used to attract funding to support much needed community-based mental health initiatives from the federal government, foundations and the private sector.

• Develop an action plan to enhance mental health services provincewide, support regional action plans and provide annual reports on goals, outcomes and ongoing plans.

• Identify opportunities and costs for the departments of Health, Community Services and Justice to share programming for youth with severely disruptive behaviour.

• Jointly fund, through the departments of Health, Community Services, Justice and Education, regional co-ordination of mental health services over the next two years.

• Immediately assess the required amount and type of residential and day treatment mental health programs for children and youth.

These new initiatives will complement the many other projects well under way in Nova Scotia to promote healthy child development. They include: the Eastern Region Child and Youth Services Project, which integrates a diverse group of services for children and youth; an innovative program in the western region that incorporates adventure-based school and camp activities for high-risk youth from the community and youth correctional facilities; the recently announced secure treatment facility in Truro for youth with severe behaviour difficulties and the establishment of a working group to focus on the needs of children with significant developmental delays.

The full action plan is due to be complete by January 2000 with implementation beginning immediately of key items already identified.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A backgrounder detailing government's response to the report A New Step Forward is available; please e-mail [email protected] or call 902-424-4492 for a copy.