Province charts the right direction on mental health

Connections will be critical, Dennis Anderson writes.

A positive and likely effective direction for Albertan’s mental health has been announced by the provincial government.

The Valuing Mental Health report, primarily produced by Liberal MLA David Swann and Minister Danielle Larivee, has resulted in a next-steps document announced by the government. It indicates time commitments to the recommendations made, with a few additions.

This is a major first step by the government for a necessary approach to the growing issues affecting many of our citizens. It also is an indication of Premier Notley’s commitment — she appointed the committee just after she became premier.

The original report was a result of committee hearings with many volunteer and professional organizations and is a reasonable consideration of directions we must take.

The most important recommendations included in the next-steps document are the items that talk of uniting the mental health organizations, provincial and national governments and volunteer organizations.

Despite the increase in mental health programs, the lack of connections has hindered progress in assisting those with mental health issues. This is likely the major reason for statistics showing little to no improvement in mental health.

The document indicates that, starting in the spring of this year and in the following three years, the government will work with organizations to bring them together to deal with mental health. This would include areas such as education, justice and others that see and deal with Albertans with issues.

There is little doubt that today people may return a number of times to the hospital or other place required as their issues redevelop. A united approach to dealing with a person’s problem would not only help the individual but would save the number of dollars that must be spent by returning for assistance over and over again. The individual’s ability to work is also harmed or halted by the illness.

Another major item of the report is using individual volunteers as “navigators”to bring a person with a mental health issue to the various programs needed to get to the root of the problem. It is one item that can use trained volunteers at a time when the Alberta economy has difficulty providing more dollars.

The government’s document says that in the winter of 2018 they will “examine potential models for using volunteer peer mentors as navigators.”

This is the right direction. It is hoped that they would even sooner put together a provincewide committee that would include government and volunteer groups as well as Indigenous and other Albertans with backgrounds that will require volunteers to take different citizens to required places and be navigators in the correct way.

Many people who have gone into psychiatric hospital care get help for an immediate need without solving the base problem. For example, family physicians work rapidly and have in most cases minimal mental health training. They often give medication to those with mental health issues without addressing other significant needs. Doctors could attach a “navigator” to the person that could then be moved to other required service providers.

Other positive initiatives include “proactively support(ing) Albertans with adverse childhood experiences.” According to some research, 70 per cent of mental health problems begin in childhood or early teen years.

The report also indicates the establishment of a youth suicide prevention plan.

Premier Notley not only established this committee but made it non-partisan, appointing not only an NDP member as co-chair but also a Liberal MLA chair as well. Given that Danielle Larivee was made a minister part way through the committee’s time, David Swann had to advocate for much of the proposals. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a nonpolitical approach, regardless of what party becomes a future government.

Many people who have gone into psychiatric hospital care get help for an immediate need without solving the base problem.

Dennis Anderson served as an MLA from 1979 to 1993, and held three cabinet positions during his time in office.