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SD5 urges feds better fund mental health services
School District No. 5 (SD5) Southeast Kootenay’s school board of trustees is calling upon the federal government to boost provincial funding for child and youth mental health services.
In a March 13 letter to Honourable Jane Philpott, Federal Minister of Health, SD5 board chair Frank Lento requests the federal government “provide additional, stable, adequate and sustainable funding –specifically for the provision of child and youth mental health services—to all provinces and territories across Canada.”
At the February 14 public board meeting, the SD5 board carried the following motion: That the board writes a letter to the Minister of Health (cc our local MP) asking for additional provincial funding for mental health.
“In fall 2013, a special project examining child and youth mental health in British Columbia was undertaken by the all-party Select Standing Committee on Children and Youth (SSCCY). The first phase of the project was reported in November 2014 and identified six high priority areas needing improvement,” the letter begins.
“The second phase of work began in February 2015 and focused on additional consultations in the form of public hearings to identify concrete and practical initiatives to enhance child and youth mental health services and outcomes in B.C.
“The January 2016 final report is the result of two years’ work on issues affecting mental health in children and youth, and ways to improve child and youth mental health services in British Columbia. There are 23 recommendations contained in the report.
“Arguably, all 23 recommendations require money in order to coordinate, staff, monitor, and ultimately improve child and youth mental health outcomes in this province.”
The board’s letter notes SD5 is among other B.C. School Districts and K–12 education partner groups concerned about the challenges facing children who require support for mental health concerns, and the task of districts in providing adequate services to our growing number of students who require these services.
“In our board’s experience, funding is the number one barrier to providing the necessary supports to these students. To that end, our district requests that the federal government provide additional, stable, adequate and sustainable funding –specifically for the provision of child and youth mental health services—to all provinces and territories across Canada,” the letter states.
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