B.C. improving access to mental-health services

Re: “B.C. is failing the mentally ill,” editorial, March 30.

Many people suffer from mental-health and addiction issues, particularly those who find themselves in the criminal-justice system. That’s why the province is doing significant work to improve access to treatment — including for people who move between the correctional system and communities.

The Provincial Health Services Authority will assume responsibility for medical services at B.C.’s 10 provincial correctional centres on Oct. 1, creating a more seamless and consistent quality of physical, mental-health, substance-use and emergency health-care services for people in custody and after their release.

In addition, the province is investing $165 million in the next three years for additional targeted mental-health and substance-use services to help address gaps, over and above the $1.45 billion the health ministry spends each year to support people in need of these services. The ministry is also working to co-ordinate mentalhealth services across the whole system to more effectively meet the needs of all patients and families, supported in part by specialized mental-health community-care services being set up by health authorities across B.C.

The province will spend more than $300 million on major capital projects that will provide almost 300 beds in the next few years — including new mental-health facilities at Vancouver General, Royal Columbian Hospital and on the Riverview lands.

We are committed to helping patients and families — including people in and out of custody — by providing them with better support to navigate the mental-health system, and integrating and co-ordinating services throughout our province.

Terry Lake Minister of Health