February 8, 2003

No Plan for Children's Mental Health

At the February staged cabinet meeting, Minister of Children and Family Development, Gordon Hogg, announced what he called a "Child and Youth Mental Health Plan" and claimed that it "is the first of its kind in Canada."

The full 68 page document is available at http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/mental_health/mh_publications/cymh_plan.htm together with several background documents. Those who read as far as page 53 will find it says "While this Plan provides the framework and strategic direction for improving children's mental health services in BC, the exact nature, location and timing of the proposed service enhancements and their measures will have to be determined over the next two years, in conjunction with Phase 1 improvements in information and planning." In other words, the "plan" is to take two years to create the plan.

A background document prepared by staff from UBC's Mental Health Evaluation & Community Consultation Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, says "At any given time, approximately 20% of children and youth (or 200,000 in British Columbia) experience mental disorders causing significant distress and impairing their functioning at home, at school, with peers, or in the community." By contrast, Hogg and the planning document refer to 140,000 children and youth with serious mental illness. The plan says that services are currently provided to only 20,000 people under age 19 but within five years "An additional 20,000 children with or at risk of developing mental disorders will be provided treatment and supports annually." It appears that the Minister has recognized an enormous problem but has committed to a very modest beginning for providing necessary services.

The only clear reference on resources is a statement that the Maples will be closed and its resources will be redirected to the "community". The Maples is based in Burnaby and provides a secure, locked setting for severely mentally ill children, protecting both the children and the community. Hogg has not explained how the community will be protected without a secure, locked facility.

The "plan" doesn't discuss what is required by way of resources to double the number of children receiving service but it does say that "In order to ensure accountability and the most efficient and effective use of limited resources, there is a need to better align programs and services with the best currently available research on evidence-based practice." Unfortunately, as you may have come to expect, neither Hogg nor the "plan" provide any estimate of the extent of current bad practices and whether correcting bad practice will free any significant amount of resources.

It strains credibility to think that the Ministry of Children and Family Development, which is scheduled to have its budget cut by 23% (almost $400 million) over the next two years, will be capable of doubling the number of children receiving adequate mental health services. Maybe the catch is that no one will receive adequate services once the cuts take effect. Hogg's "plan" does nothing but raise anxiety for those who care for severely mentally ill children.