NDP calls for $100 million in mental health supports
Province should fund five remote visits with a councillor for all residents: Notley
The Opposition NDP is calling on the UCP government to provide up to $100 million for remote access to professional mental health support as rates of depression and anxiety spike in Alberta.
NDP Leader Rachel Notley said at a Friday news conference an online tool much like the province's COVID-19 self-assessment and test booking site could help Albertans assess their mental health and access insured professional support. She called on the province to pay for five sessions with a mental health professional for every Albertan who needs it.
“I'm hearing about stress, about pressures, and the grief every single day. The nature of this pandemic means that we don't have the same access to social supports that we have relied on during tough times in the past,” said Notley.
“If there is such a pent-up need for mental health therapy in Alberta, we should lean into that and embrace the opportunity to help people,” said Notley, who gave credit to the UCP government for taking important steps.
A COVID-19 mental health action plan announced in April saw the UCP government put $53 million toward increasing access to services for Albertans, including $21.4 million for improving the capacity of telephone and online supports, including the Addiction Helpline, the Mental Health Helpline, the Kids Help Phone, the Crisis Text Line Alberta, and Alberta 211. But, Notley said insuring professional sessions would help support Albertans before they reach crisis levels.
Kassandra Kitz, press secretary to mental health and addictions associate minister Jason Luan, said in a statement the government is confident its measures and the capacity of the mental health system in Alberta will be enough to support Albertans during the pandemic.
Kitz said there are more than 135 publicly-funded addiction and mental health clinics across the province that are still open and try to deliver some services online and virtually where possible. Community facilities have seen an overall increase of telephone and virtual care consultations to 32 per cent of capacity, Kitz said.
“We know COVID-19 and the public health measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus and keep us safe is having a serious impact on the mental wellness of Albertans,” said Kitz.
Human resources firm Morneau- Sheppel's latest mental health study shows that the general psychological health of Canadians is significantly worse than it was prior to the pandemic and is deteriorating, with the greatest increase in stress month over month among respondents in Alberta.
Keith Dobson, a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Calgary, said access to mental health services is a concern across Canada, but the need for support is greater in Alberta, where the economic downturn prior to the pandemic increased financial stress.
“Mental health challenges are unprecedented and absolutely require a response,” Dobson said at the NDP news conference.
Dobson said costs can be a major barrier to access, especially for those who have lost jobs and employment benefits that would normally have helped access to mental health supports.
Premier Jason Kenney addressed rates of anxiety and depression when he announced public health measures on Nov. 24, noting that they had already increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and could be further impacted by a full-scale lockdown.
The province's latest restrictions, announced Tuesday, included closing dine-in service at restaurants, shutting down casinos and hair salons, and banning outdoor social gatherings.
Roman Pabayo, assistant professor at the University of Alberta School of Public Health, said in an interview with Postmedia the restrictions will have a negative impact on public mental health, but added there are ways to help cope with that, such as the NDP'S proposal.
I'm hearing about stress, about pressures, and the grief every single day.