BUDGET PROMISE

The P.E.I. government, in its 2019-20 capital budget, promises to invest $100 million in mental health and addictions infrastructure over the next five years.

The promise includes:

• E-Mental Health solutions – real-time access to information, resources and supports for Islanders and healthcare providers.

• Community access centres or hubs in Charlottetown, Summerside, West Prince and Kings County to provide collaborative community-based mental health and addictions services, including treatments, rehabilitation and supports closer to home.

• Structured housing unit and adult mental health day treatment program site – an eight-bed site in Charlottetown providing care to patients with complex needs as they transition from hospital to community as well as a day program for patients who do not require hospital admission.

• Mental Health and Addictions Emergency Department and Acute Stabilization Unit at Queen Elizabeth Hospital with eight emergency treatment spaces and a four-bed stabilization unit providing dedicated and timely access to trained mental health and addictions clinicians.

• Long-term mental health residential services in Summerside and Charlottetown, with community mental health supports for individuals living with mental illness.

• Provincial acute mental health and additions hospital to support all in-patient mental health care for all ages as well as in-patient addictions care for adults.

The provincial government says the investment will improve care for the one in 10 Islanders who experience mental health or addictions challenges in their lifetime.