‘Not my department’
Vulnerable Islanders still facing government silos in mental health: Opposition
Mental health supports for vulnerable Islanders living in poverty, homelessness and in the correctional system came under scrutiny Friday in the P.E.I. legislature.
Opposition health critic James Aylward noted 22 per cent of social assistance clients and 47 per cent of homeless Islanders self identify as having mental heath issues.
He asked what services are offered to vulnerable Islanders who find themselves on assistance or living in the streets to help break their cycle of poverty.
“Anyone who would be seeking mental health support would either be directed to an emergency room or through programs at Canadian Mental Health Association,” Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy replied.
Later, Morell-Mermaid MLA Sidney MacEwen asked what mental health supports Islanders in the correctional system are receiving in light of the fact a psychologist position for correctional services has been vacant for over a year.
“Vulnerable Islanders are trapped in a vicious cycle, just struggling to access badlyneeded mental health services in and outside our justice system,” MacEwen said.
“Question to the health minister: What specific resources are available in the justice system to help Islanders with mental health issues get beyond this cycle?”
Health Minister Robert Henderson responded by saying, “That’s not part of my portfolio,” noting correctional services fall within the Department of Justice.
After question period, Aylward pointed to the oft-repeated phrase “not my department” in response to questions about mental health supports.
Islanders stuck in situations of poverty, addiction, criminality and homelessness have cited mental illness as a major factor contributing to their problems, yet they are passed back and forth between government departments, Aylward said.
“These are the most vulnerable individuals that are ultimately falling through the cracks. The supports are just lacking and simply not there,” he said.
“We need to break these silos down, but unfortunately they’re entrenched, they’re as strong as they ever have been.”
Henderson says there are always improvements that can be made when it comes to government departments working together, but he says new ‘bridge’ and ‘hub’ models being implemented in some areas of government are starting to help increase collaboration within the provincial bureaucracy.
“If we’re dealing with a particular complex case, if we can get everybody around the table that are affiliated with that client – it could be issues around addictions, it could be poverty, child care issues – we get all those departments around the table and have some discussions,” he told reporters.
“Now, this is somewhat in the early stages. We’ve implemented that over the last year and a half or so, and we are hopeful that’s going to eliminate those kinds of miscommunications and things of that nature.”
But when asked for more detail about how Islanders in correctional facilities are getting the mental health support they need while the psychologist position remains vacant, Henderson again replied with, “That’s not my department.”
Aylward says this highlights the crux of the problem for P.E.I.’s most vulnerable.
“At the end of the day, each department is their own little silo and, you saw it there today, where it’s deflect and blame, deflect and blame.”