Improvements to Children’s Mental Health Services

HEALTH/COMMUNITY SERVICES--Improvements to Children’s Mental Health Services

The provincial government is moving forward on its commitment to improve mental health services for children and youth in Nova Scotia.

The departments of Community Services and Health are taking the lead in developing a provincial plan to blend child and youth mental-health services into one co-ordinated system.

The plan will see more services being delivered within Nova Scotia and within individual communities.

"In many instances children, parents and service providers in special education, child protection and youth justice programs can’t gain access to mental health services," said Community Services Minister Peter Christie. "We need to ensure that the right services are in place and readily accessible to those who need them."

The decision to move forward comes after numerous consultations and reports which recommended sweeping changes. A number of studies have reached many common conclusions about the state of mental health services for Nova Scotia children and youth. Four recent reports made nearly identical recommendations about improving these services.

"It is time to stop studying the issue and start acting," said Health Minister Jamie Muir. "We are moving forward in creating a mental health system that will ensure our children are getting the best possible care when and where they need it."

The plan to restructure children’s mental health services will focus on the following six objectives:

• To better meet the mental health needs of children and youth, and to meet those needs as close to home as possible.

• To eliminate the need for Nova Scotians to surrender their parental rights in order to access residential mental-health services for their children.

• To rationalize and expand the range of services available.

• To establish clear and timely access to mental health services for children, youth and their families.

• To strengthen accountability for public money spent on mental health services.

• To monitor the progress of children in the system and the overall system performance.

The plan will be ready for implementation by early next year.

"We are taking the time to develop a provincial plan to make sure we are creating the right system for our children," said Mr. Muir.

"The plan will also help to ensure a smooth transition into the improved co-ordinated system for our service providers, parents, children and youth," added Mr. Christie.

Senior government staff have already met with many key stakeholders to share the focus of the initiative and receive their input. Most stakeholders also recognized the need for change and are pleased with government’s decision to move forward.

Prof. Stan Kutcher, head of Dalhousie University’s department of psychiatry, said he''s encouraged by the province''s commitment to restructure child and youth mental-health services.

"It''s so important to recognize that the sooner we can diagnose and treat mental illness in children, the better for society overall,” he said. “For example, research conducted here in the province indicates that early diagnosis and effective treatment of psychotic disorders may significantly improve outcomes, leading to a better quality of life for individuals with schizophrenia, and to reduced health system costs."

Elaine Jacobsen, executive director of the Halifax Children''s Aid Society, said she hopes these improvements will make mental health services more accessible to the children her organization deals with every day.

"We welcome the opportunity to expand access to children with emotional and behavioural problems," said Ms. Jacobsen. “We know if parents can directly access the system early on it can prevent long-term problems and keep children out of the child protection system and the youth justice system.

The plan is an initiative of the Children and Youth Action Committee (CAYAC). The committee consists of representatives from the departments of Community Services, Health, Education, and Justice, the Nova Scotia Sport and Recreation Commission and the Nova Scotia Youth Secretariat. Also participating are mental- health service providers and other key stakeholders throughout the province.