More funding needed to help meet growing demand for mental-health care

Local branch of Canadian Mental Health Association says it’s ‘heartbreaking’ for people put on wait lists for services

WATERLOO REGION — Mental health and addiction services were already straining to meet the demand before the pandemic, and now even more people are struggling and asking for help.

More funds are essential to connect people to the support they need without a long wait, said Helen Fishburn, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington.

“The needle needs to move to match what we’re seeing and what the needs in our community are now,” Fishburn said. “There are gaps all across that care continuum.”

Currently, 3,874 people are waiting for care locally. The top reasons prompting people to call are anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, alcohol and substance abuse, and pandemic-related stress.

“We know it takes a lot of courage for them to make that call. It’s heartbreaking for them, and it’s also heartbreaking for our staff. They see the needs. They see the desperation,” Fishburn said.

The lengthiest wait is for specialized housing — an average of four to five years. More than 1,000 people are waiting for a bed with supports as they deal with mental-health or addiction issues.

Anyone in crisis gets help immediately, Fishburn stressed. Some programs have shorter waits or are immediately available, but many people who call for help get added to a wait list.

“It’s incredibly discouraging,” she said. Programs such as peer groups and resources are available to people while they wait, which is helpful in the interim but not as good as getting services quickly.

“However, it is certainly better than suffering in silence and suffering alone,” Fishburn said.

Calls for help have increased by 40 per cent during the pandemic and there’s greater acuity.

People who were already dealing with issues before COVID-19 hit are having a tougher time and there’s a whole new group reaching out for help for the first time. Opioid-related deaths have also risen dramatically during the pandemic.

“Every single one of us has been impacted by this pandemic to a certain degree,” Fishburn said.

Public polling by the association found nearly 80 per cent of Ontario residents believe the province will face a significant mental-health crisis when the pandemic is over.

And yet funding already lags way behind the need, which is why the association is lobbying for more from the province, along with boosting fundraising efforts. Fishburn said the community health and addictions sector receives only 5.8 per cent of the entire $69.8 billion health-care budget.

It gets base funding and money earmarked for specific programs, either one-time or permanent. But an infusion of funds is required to address the gaps and waits.

“We need the whole system being funded. That’s what we’re missing,” Fishburn said.

The pandemic is shining the spotlight on mental health and sparking many conversations, from informal coffee shop chats to upper levels of government.

“That has been a conversation at every level,” she said. “It’s taken a long time to get to this point.” Fishburn welcomes the growing dialogue and will use this opportunity to champion the cause. Mental health is no different from physical health, and people should have the same access to care to get better.

“It isn’t OK, and we really need to do better for people who are waiting. This is a life or death situation.”