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House Hansard - 79

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 1, 2022 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 79 - Jun/1/22
Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Jun/1/22 10:52:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to respond to my esteemed colleague this evening and to talk about what our government is doing to support mental health care across Canada. We have made historic investments in mental health, including $5 billion to the provinces and territories through ongoing bilateral agreements. Budget 2022 proposes to provide $227.6 million over two years, starting in 2022-23, to maintain trauma-informed, culturally appropriate services for indigenous people, to improve mental wellness, and to support efforts initiated through budget 2021 to co-develop distinctions-based mental health and wellness strategies. A major challenge, one that existed for years even before the pandemic, has been the ability to access the right type of care where and when it is needed. Sometimes people need information online. In some cases, they need peer support. Other times, they need therapy or more specialized care. We know that the pandemic has created even more challenges, as evidenced by the substantial increase in mental health needs. That is why in the early days of the pandemic the government introduced the Wellness Together Canada portal. To date, we have invested $270 million in this portal to offer the most appropriate care, at the most appropriate time, in the most appropriate place, delivered by the most appropriate provider. This means that Canadians can access online information on mental health issues, mental health programs they can do on their own or with counselling, immediate text support and even confidential individual counselling through phone, video and texting with social workers, psychologists and professionals. All of this is available 24 hours day, 365 days a year and in more than 200 languages for free. We also know that helping Canadians calls for strong partnerships with the provinces and territories, indigenous communities, mental health practitioners, researchers, diverse communities and people with lived and living experience. An important example is the partnership established between Canada, the Standards Council of Canada and other key stakeholders to develop new national standards for mental health and substance use supports. This work is backed by a $45‑million investment over two years, and we are very pleased with the progress made in developing national standards related to integrated youth services. We know national standards are needed so that Canadians know what to expect in terms of timeliness and quality of mental health and substance use services, treatments and supports. I am sure my colleague knows that, in order to improve mental health care for Canadians, we have to work hand in hand with all our partners. Our government wants to hear from them, understand their perspectives, identify the areas in need of more investment and get this right for all Canadians, no matter where they live and the care they need. We remain fully committed to investing a further $4.5 billion over five years to ensure that mental health care is treated as a full and equal part of Canada's public health care system. Mental health care is health care and Canadians deserve—
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Context: House Hansard - 79 - Jun/1/22
Mrs. Élisabeth Brière
  • Jun/1/22 10:57:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the government has made a firm commitment to Canadians that it will develop, fund and implement this new permanent mental health transfer. To do that, we must work collaboratively with the provinces and territories. I know that my colleague understands without a doubt that mental health is sharply declining across the country. We have to be able to provide promising and innovative practices to ensure that all Canadians have access to care that meets their needs. Therefore, the government is taking an approach based on consultation and partnership to deliver a new Canada mental health transfer. We believe that mental health is a non-partisan issue, and we will work with everyone to ensure that Canadians have the mental health services they deserve.
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