Candidates discuss plans for mental health supports

By KENDALL KING on May 25, 2023.

kking@medicinehatnews.com@kkingmhn

Alberta’s health worker shortage has dominated pre-election discourse, but the issue extends beyond physical health as many communities across the province are also experiencing a shortage of mental health professionals to operate services.

The issue is evident throughout the southeast region, however candidates in local ridings are confident in their party’s unique strategies to address shortages and improve mental health supports throughout the region.

While on the campaign trail, local NDP candidates Cathy Hogg and Gwendoline Dirk have been steadfast promoters of their party’s plan to establish multidisciplinary teams of physical health-care professionals in Alberta communities, including Medicine Hat. Family health teams, as they are called, would include professionals able to provide care for physical ailments, as well as those able to assist with mental health concerns.

The pair say establishment of such teams would enhance patient access and reduce wait times for both mental and physical health-care services by way of streamlining. They also feel the team model would attract new health professionals to Alberta, which would ultimately grow the number of services throughout the province.

“It’s critical that we have the supports in place for mental health,” said Hogg. “And family health teams can provide some of them.”

Hogg went on to explain that the NDP also aims to build collaborative relationships between mental health professionals and community organizations and institutions, like schools and police services, in an attempt to introduce supports to populations with proven needs.

Both Hogg and Dirk highlighted the party’s promise to provide all Albertans with five free mental health therapy sessions per year – a promise that would go into effect six to 12 months following the election, NDP finance critic and Lethbridge-West candidate Shannon Phillips said during a Tuesday visit to Medicine Hat.

Phillips says the party would also create incentives to attract mental health professionals to Alberta.

Brooks-Medicine Hat Alberta Party candidate Barry Morishita would also like to see an increase in the number of mental health professionals practising in Alberta, however he believes that will take time, and therefore should be classified as a long-term goal.

Recognizing the immediacy of the issue, however, Morishita has devised a short-term plan he feels will lower wait times and remove barriers to access by delivering support services directly to those in need of them.

“Certainly, access is not great,” said Morishita. “I know from friends trying to access services and supports here in Brooks, they’ve been told the wait is nine, 10, 12 weeks; kids have been told to wait the same amount of time. That’s just not acceptable.

“So, one of the things the Alberta Party has talked about is, in the short term, how do we leverage the workforce that’s out there? … (We’ve proposed) we can do some innovative things like virtual sessions or some more cross co-operation with schools, with mental health associations and with AHS, because we have to be willing to work together to provide those services directly to people as quickly as we can.”

Cypress-Medicine Hat UCP candidate Justin Wright also supports co-operation with existing mental health service providers in the region.

“Over the past four years, the United Conservative government has made it a priority to partner with local organizations in Medicine Hat, including the Canadian Mental Health Association and Our Collective Journey,” said Wright. “Local non-profits are the best and most efficient way to provide mental health services to communities. Government’s role is to support these organizations.”

Wright is also in agreement that virtual services, like Counselling Alberta, could be used to improve access. Wright noted his party’s pledge to increase funding for virtual mental health supports.

While Brooks-Medicine Hat UCP candidate Danielle Smith did not provide a comment to the News regarding her stance on the issue, she has said several times in recent weeks she believes there is a need for continued financial investment to increase mental health services and supports across the province.

18
-17