WHEREAS provincial government funding is necessary to support local community mental health and addiction services; AND WHEREAS out-of-town professional services traveling to the community to provide mental health service are appreciated, but not cost effective or dependable; AND WHEREAS rural and remote communities are under-serviced and existing services are being fully utilized; AND WHEREAS mental health care is an integral part of health care, as well as a preventative health service: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that UBCM lobby the provincial government to fund existing mental health and addiction services through the current service providers, together with any other mental health and addiction services that would enhance services throughout the province; AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that there be community involvement in decisions surrounding changes in service delivery of local mental health and addiction services.
Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health Ministry has made it a priority to build a comprehensive system of mental health and addictions services across the Province of British Columbia Province. The Ministry provides over 1 billion a year for mental health and addictions supports, an increase of 20 per cent since 2001. The Province has also fully funded the 125 million Mental Health Plan as well as 138 million in capital funding for mental health facilities that are now open or under construction in a number of communities, including Terrace, Smithers, Fort St. John, Prince George, Kamloops and Coquitlam. Our partners in local government are also critical to the further success of community based facilities through, for example, solutions such as smaller lot sizes, higher density housing and faster rezoning laws. Health authorities are implementing a full continuum of services including public awareness and school programs, supports for families, supported living and assisted living units, day programs, addictions programs, counseling and beds for adults and youth, residential safe housing, mental health beds, psychiatric outreach, tele-and-video-psychiatry, community mental health beds and more.