Six months after forming a Mental Health Steering Committee the pledge to address mental health service deficiencies in the community is continuing to move forward.
Those involved with the initiative feel the best way to create solutions and expand education in regards to mental health is to find a leader. The committee has proposed the idea of hiring a mental health navigator “to take the lead in coordinating and supporting mental health initiatives in the Bonnyville area with a primary focus on adolescent mental health,” according to a letter drafted by committee members.
The letter goes on to state that the position would be “aimed to increase collaboration with Alberta Health Services, Covenant Health, LCSD (Lakeland Catholic School District), NLSD (Northern Lights School Division), Consiel Scolaire Centre-Est, Bonnyville PCN (Primary Care Network) and the local physician groups involved in this initiative.”
Responsibilities for the role would include coordinating adolescent mental health clinics, linking with schools, mental health physicians and the Bonnyville Covenant Health Centre in mental health education and wellness initiatives, building mental health resources in the community, building new collaborative partnerships with stakeholders and sitting on the steering committee.
While the navigator would perform vital tasks to help improve mental health services in the region, they would not be involved in a counselling role.
“I think this is one of the greatest things that has happened in this community. There are way too many patients suffering from this disease and we need to help them,” said Reeve Ed Rondeau after a March 9 council meeting.
“It is so easy to think, ‘well they have to help themselves,' but they can't. For somebody who doesn't suffer from mental health issues it is difficult to understand that they can't, but it is not in their capabilities.”
In order to jumpstart the position the MD of Bonnyville, along with the Town of Bonnyville and three local school boards, are being asked to contribute a sum of $22,000 each. This funding would go towards the salary, office rental and technological needs to help get the navigator started.
While the request is quite large, the committee feels there isn't time to waste trying to get a position approved and funded by AHS.
“The demand is everywhere right now. Doctors are telling us they average one adolescent a day in emergency with mental health issues and they come from Cold Lake to Bonnyville,” said Rondeau. “I don't even care if they come from outside our region; that is a heck of a lot of people in need.”
Committee members are hoping to get the position funded locally for an initial two years, which will allow a new level of mental health services to be established in Bonnyville. Once they establish the program and show that it is vital to the community, the hope is they would receive some funding from AHS to continue operations.
Local doctors have even talked about using some of the funds raised for the doctor recruitment program to help with the funding the navigator and other mental health initiatives in the community.
“We need to set up an office and give these individuals a place to go,” said Mayor Gene Sobolewksi. “This individual is going to coordinate how we do that; it is not a counseling role, it is a navigating role and this person is going to take the lead in bringing different organizations together.”
The details around the position, such as where a possible mental health clinic would be located, have yet to be fully worked out. For now the committee is focused on securing the funding and seeing how many local organizations they can bring on board. A member from the steering committee will be making official presentations to the two council's and three school boards in the coming weeks to see if they are interested in supporting the navigator.
The MD of Bonnyville wasted no time showing their support, passing a motion to support the program with $25,000 for 2016 and 2017 at their March 9 meeting.
“The sooner the better. Why delay it,” said Rondeau. “You delay it another two or three weeks and it is another month before it gets going.”