An egregious decision

Re: “Don’t tap the taxpayers,” Letters, Edward Redshaw, June 5, and “Funding for ‘Empathy’ uncertain,” June 4 A misunderstanding needs clarification regarding the EMPATHY (Empowering a Multimodal Pathway Towards Healthy Youth) program to help youth mental health.

The letter writer believes this was a private research project and therefore doesn’t warrant future funding, despite its success at reducing suicidal thinking, depression and anxiety in youth. This is incorrect. This program was organized and run by Alberta Health Services (through their Strategic Clinical Network for Addiction and Mental Health) and funded by Alberta Health. It was designed to be introduced provincewide, if successful. The research was simply to measure if it was effective — amazingly, something that hasn’t been done in any other similar program.

It was therefore extremely disingenuous of Health Minister Sarah Hoffmann to suggest otherwise. She may have set some kind of Canadian speed record for a politician saying one thing while in opposition, then doing the opposite once in power. In her previous role she had actively advocated for “multimodal mental-health” programs for youth (exactly what happened in the EMPATHY program). However, in less than two weeks of getting into power she cancels the only effective and proven program! The loss to Alberta youth is considerable, and it is this massive hypocrisy which explains my deep unhappiness with her decision. (I was not advocating for any research funding for me, only for continued school-based programming.)

I ask that Hoffman reconsider this egregious decision.

Peter Silverstone, Edmonton