TORONTO — The Ministry of Health says new funding for mental health and addictions services for children will help reduce waitlists in Northwestern Ontario.
About one million dollars in additional annual funding was announced Wednesday, specifically targeted at improving access to core and specialized services for children and youth.
The investments include:
- $320,000 for Children's Centre Thunder Bay to enhance services to support and strengthen parent/child relationships and improve the mental health of children and youth in need
- $427,000 for community-based child, youth and family service agencies that provide core mental health and addictions services, including live-in treatment programs as well as organizations that provide Indigenous core-like services
- $201,000 in annualized funding for Kenora-based Firefly to support a range of core services
A government news release stated that these announcements build on recent targeted investments that included:
- $1.5 million to expand and enhance access to specialized mental health and addictions services through the Child and Adolescent Multidisciplinary Psychiatry Services Program (CHAMP) operated by the TB Regional Health Sciences Centre in partnership with St. Joseph's Care Group. This funding is being used to hire six psychiatrists and will help develop a systemwide response to mental health and addictions challenges through a partnership with community-based services, including culturally appropriate services for Indigenous children
- $1 million to grow the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Services (CAPS) program based in Thunder Bay, with satellite service locations across Northwestern Ontario
Greg Rickford – the minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources & Forestry, and Indigenous Affairs – said "all people in Ontario deserve equal access to mental health and addictions services, and our government is ensuring rural and remote northern communities have the life-saving supports they need to keep children and youth safe."
In February 2020, the health ministry also announced $800,000 for the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority to support a team of specialized mental health professionals to provide care to First Nations youth.
