Yesterday, September 26, the BC Greens announced a plan to make mental healthcare accessible, effective, and safe for everyone in British Columbia, during a press conference in Creston.
“We need to ensure we remove the barriers to accessing mental healthcare,” said BC Green Leader Sonia Furstenau.
“It affects all of us, either personally or through someone we love. But too often, people can’t find or afford the help they need. We want everyone in BC to get mental health support when they need it without worrying about how to afford it or where to go.”
“It’s far more effective and far less expensive to invest in preventative, proactive mental health care than it is for people to have to wait until they’re in a crisis to access mental health care, which is the condition that a lot of people are in BC right now, formally accessing mental health care through an emergency room.”
The BC Greens Mental Health plan include four recommendations:
- MSP Coverage for mental health professionals: To ensure that every BC resident has access to six fully covered visits with a mental health professional, such as a psychologist, under the Medical Services Plan (MSP).
- Regulation of psychotherapy: To introduce full regulation of psychotherapy in BC to make sure only properly trained people can call themselves counselors or psychologists, so you know you’re getting the right support.
- Mental health integration into 911: To integrate mental health as a fourth option into 911 services and expand the Peer Assisted Care Teams (PACT) program to ensure that mental health crises are met with appropriate and compassionate responses.
- Mental Health Act review: To conduct an all-party review of the Mental Health Act and create an Independent Office of the Mental Health Advocate to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are heard and that the legislation is updated to reflect modern understandings of mental health care.
“Including mental health as part of our overall health care system is a big step to removing the stigma that is attached to people seeking help for mental health care, but we know that one in three British Columbians struggles with mental health and so this is a stigma that is dangerous, and it is causing harm to people.” said Furstenau.
“Ensuring that we have evidence -based approaches to mental health as has been demonstrated with psychologists and we can ensure that people benefit from better mental health and in fact better overall health.
Nicole Charlwood, BC Green Candidate for Kootenay Central echoed the BC Greens Leaders’
“We need a government that ensures mental healthcare is accessible in community health centers and schools,” said Charlwood,
“My children could benefit from regular school counseling, saving us thousands. I know I did in high school during tough times. Access to a counselor helped keep me connected and on the right path.”
The election is set for October 19.
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