Health and Community Services
October 2, 2012
Minister Corrects Misinformation Regarding Mental Health Investments
The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services, today corrected misleading information provided by the Official Opposition regarding investments in mental health and addictions services. Minister Sullivan also reiterated the Provincial Government’s commitment to continue providing new, innovative and enhanced mental health and addictions services throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
“Our government has put great emphasis on the implementation of new mental health and addictions services through an investment of nearly $30 million in just the past three years and I am disappointed that the Official Opposition would use outdated, misleading information in the public,” said Minister Sullivan. “We have broken ground on two new youth mental health and addictions centres that will be the first of their kind in this province, a new adult addictions centre is in the works and we are moving forward with an innovative and interactive e-mental health project for our youth, health professionals and community stakeholders. Mental health and addictions is, and will remain, a top priority for our government.”
The Official Opposition issued a news release today that appears to reference 2003-04 data collected as part of a study released by The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry in 2008.
Over the past several years the Provincial Government has advanced mental health and addictions services throughout the province. In Budget 2012: People and Prosperity, $15.5 million was allocated for the continued development of the treatment centres in Grand Falls-Windsor for youth with addictions and Paradise for youth with complex mental health needs and the adult treatment centre in Harbour Grace.
Other recent investments include:
- $4.5 million to begin the replacement of the Waterford Hospital;
- $3.4 million to enhance rural mental health and addictions services to increase peer support workers, rural case managers, intake workers, counselling positions and to help open two regional offices for the local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association;
- $1.1 million to enhance child psychiatry services at the Janeway Hospital;
- $1 million for a web-based e-mental health service and awareness campaign; and,
- Continued financial support of mental health and addictions organizations that includes funding for day-to-day operations, projects and programming to help further their mandates and provide services throughout the province.
“If Opposition critic wants to cite provincial mental health and addictions expenditure figures from a 2003-04 study, he may need a little history lesson,” said Minister Sullivan. “When we took over office in 2003-04, our government had a significant job ahead of us to rectify the often short-sighted expenditures of the previous administration. Our government has no problems standing by what we have done and will continue to do for mental health and addictions.”
- 30 -
Media contact:
Jennifer Tulk
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 699-6524
JenniferTulk@gov.nl.ca
2012 10 02 5:55 p.m.