Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
HealthWellnessMentalHealth17TuesdayFebruary182014ByMARIACHURCHTheAssociationofPsychol-ogistsoftheNWTAPNWThasjoinedforceswithanationalcampaigntoadvocateformoreaccesstomentalhealthservicesinthepublichealthcaresystem.Thismonthmarkedthelaunchofthenationalcam-paignMindYourMentalHealthwhichaimstobothraisetheproleofmentalillnessandpressureprovincialandterri-torialgovernmentstoprovidemoreaccesstopsychologists.RehmamAbdulrehmanaclinicalpsychologistinWin-nipegandspokespersonfortheCanada-widecampaignsaidrecentresearchsuggestsaccesstomentalhealthcareintheterritoriesalongwiththerestofCanadaisdecreasing.Ouradvocacyistoincreasetheaccesstopsychologistsinthepublichealthcaresystem.Rightnowitsgonedownac-cesstopsychologistsisgettingworse-evenjustthenum-bersofpsychologistsforgettheonesthatareinthepublichealthcaresystemhesaid.ByMARIACHURCHQuestionsaboutthesuccessofmentalhealthprogramsintheNWTarebeingraisedfollowingagovernmentan-nouncementoutliningtheal-locationof2.6millioninnewfundingtowardsmentalhealthinitiativesintheterritory.GlenAbernethyNWTministerofHealthandSo-cialServicesannouncedlastweekthatthe2014-15budgetcommitmentsforaddictionsandcommunitywellnesswilltakeintoaccountrecom-mendationsmadeinareporttabledlastJunebytheMin-istersForumonAddictionsandCommunityWellness.TheNWTisadiversere-gionmadeupofmanydif-ferentcultureswiththeirowntraditionalbeliefsandpractices.WeneedasmanyoptionsaspossibletoallowpeopletodecidewhatworksforthemAbernethytoldtheAssemblylastweek.AndyLangforddirectorofterritorialsocialprogramsforthedepartmentofHealthandSocialServicessaidHealthWellnessMentalHealthNationalmentalhealthcampaignseekspublicaccesstopsychologistsConservativestatisticssuggestasmanyasoneinveCanadianswillbediag-nosedwithamentalillnessbutmanyinwellnessprofes-sionsbelievethatnumbertobehigherAbdulrehmansaid.Hesaidtheassociationishearinglessandlessconcernaboutthenegativestigmasaroundmentalillnessandmoreconcernaboutthethelackofaffordableaccess.AbdulrehmansaidtherearefewstatscomingoutoftheterritorieshoweverrecentnewsabouthighsuicideratesintheNorthsuggestsagrow-ingmentalhealthproblem.RobertORourkepresidentofAPNWTsaidtheresanarrayofmentalhealthser-viceprovidersintheNWTincludingtraditionalhealerspsychiatristspsychologistsandwellnessworkersbutgettingaccesstotheseser-vicescanstillbedifcultforresidentswhofallthroughthecracksofcoverage.ORourkesaidtheNWTassociationbacksthecam-paignsmandatetoaskthegovernmenttoincludethoseservicesininsuredpublichealthcare.Openupthedooralittlemoreheurged.FormoreinformationontheMindYourMentalHealthcampaigngoonlinetomymh.cathebiggestconcernidenti-edbytheministersforumwasaneedforaccesstoonthelandhealingprograms.Themessageisveryclearandthatisthatthelanditselfhealspeoplehesaid.Brokendownthefund-ingwillsee900000gotowardson-the-landhealingprograms305000towardsawellnesscourt895000forintegratedcasemanagementand500000forchildandyouthresiliencethroughpro-gramsandeducation.LastyeartheGNWTdrewcriticismwhenitdecidedtopullfundingfromtheNWTsonlyresidentialtreatmentcentreforaddictionsnearHayRiverforcingNorth-ernerstoseektreatmentatsimilarcentresinthesouth.AccordingtoLangfordthenowdefunctNatsejeeKehTreatmentCentreontheKatlodeecheFirstNationreservecostthegovernment2.1millioninitslastyearofoperating.Thosefundshavenowbeenreallocatedtocoverthecostsofsend-ingresidentstotreatmentatfourdifferentspecializedad-dictionscentresinAlberta.MentalhealtheducationneededPaulAndrewswholedtheMinistersForumacrosstheterritoryin2012seekingresidentsinputonmentalhealthandaddictionscon-cernssaidaprevailingissueinmostcommunitiesisalackofunderstandingaboutwhatmentalhealthactuallyis.Whenyoutalkaboutsomebodyhavingmentalhealthissuesthetranslationalmostgoestosomebodybeingcrazy.Sorightoffthebatthereisaquestionaboutwhetherweagreewhattheproblemisparticularlyfortheunilingualpeoplehesaid.Langfordsaidthegovern-mentislookingintotranslat-ingmentalhealthservicesforalllanguagesintheterritorybutpartoftheproblemisthestigmaaroundmentalhealthversusaddictions.Oneofthechallengeswehavehastodowithpeoplenotwantingtoaccessthementalhealthsystemforaddictionsissuesbecauseitimpliesthatiftheyhaveanaddictiontheyhaveamentalhealthproblem.Wearetryingtodevelopadegreeofsepara-tionbetweenaddictionspro-grammingandmentalhealthprogramminghesaid.Thejusticesystemalsocameunderscrutinyduringtheforumsconsultationswithquestionsraisedastowhythemajorityofthoseinjailaresuf-feringfromamentalillness.ItcertainlydoesnthelptheproblemthatthewaywedealwithalotofthementalhealthcasesintheNWTisbyhopingthatbylockingthemuptheyllgoawayAndrewssaid.Thewellnesscourtwhichlookstodivertthosesufferingfrommentalhealthconcernsfromtheusualcourtsystemisanavenueforchangehesaid.FirstNationsInuitandMtiscommunitiesalsoraisedtheissueofthehistoryofcul-turaloppressionexperiencedbyAboriginalpeopleswhichcanleadtomentalhealthis-suesAndrewssaid.Fundingforon-the-landwellnessprogramsisastepintherightdirectionhesaidbuttherealsolutionneedstocomefromadesiretochangeinthecommunities.UsasAboriginalpeoplewehavetostarttalkingtoouryoungerpeopleaboutthepeoplewecomefromhesaid.Wehavetotryandreconnectsomeoftheyoungpeoplewiththeirspiritualitywiththeirculturesandstarttalkingmoreaboutaddictionsingeneralandnolongeracceptthemasnormaloreveryday.QuestionsraisedaboutmentalhealthservicesinNWTGNWTpledgesmoreon-the-landmentalhealthservicedeliveryPhotocourtesyofGNWTPhotoNikThavisonePaulAndrewswholedtheForumonAddictionsandCom-munityWellnesssayseducationisaforemostconcern.PsychologistRehmanAb-dulrehmansayspublicac-cesstomentalhealthcareisdecreasing.