INNISFAIL - The contentious issue of inadequate mental health services for the community has received a full impassioned hearing at town council, highlighted by a call to launch a “crusade.”
The call at council came as a means to force the provincial government to improve support for beleaguered Innisfail residents experiencing increased financial pressure caused by the downturn of the economy.
Carla Turnquist, who operates Summit Psychology at the Kemp House, told members of council on Oct. 24 that a $5,000 Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) grant she received from the town in September to subsidize professional fees for financially challenged clients was used up in a month. She was refused additional 2016 FCSS funding and wanted to know more about the town's past practices and support for mental health programming.
“I just want council to hear that I am inundated with phone calls from people who are not able to get into our mental health service here in the community for three to four weeks,” said Turnquist. “I just want council to understand that there is a significant need in our community for those subsidized counselling services, particularly with the downturn in the economy and the recession where we are seeing more complex types of things coming our way compared to a year or two ago.”
Council members were sympathetic to Turnquist's presentation, but Mayor Brian Spiller emphasized the municipality's mandate is to provide funding for basic services, such as water, sewer, street maintenance, and emergency services, such as fire and police protection.
“Once we start doing what the Alberta government should be doing, are they going to step in or allow us to spend our budget money on that (mental health services), and then we have less money to spend on basic services that we do provide in our town. And it is a tough financial year too,” said Spiller.
Helen Dietz, the town's chief administrative officer, also pointed out that the town also provides FCSS contributions to family wellness programming for Chinook's Edge School Division, as well as giving Turnquist's service, and Pathways Home Family Counselling Ltd., subsidized rental rates at the Kemp House.
Coun. Patt Churchill said she received several calls following earlier media stories about council approving FCSS grant money for mental health services. She noted that when needs assessments are done in town mental health “is always there,” but also added it's the province's Alberta Health Services' (AHS) responsibility to provide financial support, noting the best the municipality can do is offer short-term emergency assistance.
“I believe this should be a trigger point,” said Churchill, noting that while AHS might say the community is not adequately utilizing mental health services in town, citizens “can't, because they are completely and totally inadequate. We need people like you and Karen (Bradbury) to step forward and say, ‘what is being provided to us as a municipality is not acceptable.' It is not acceptable.”
Churchill added she knows at least four qualified people willing to “hop on the bandwagon” and help the town pressure the provincial government to provide improved subsidized funding for mental health counselling.
The councillor said it was “time somebody spoke up” and asked Turnquist if she was willing to be part of a “crusade.”
“I don't know if I would be willing to lead, but I would absolutely play a part in that,” responded Turnquist to Churchill's query. “In advocacy, just like I am doing here tonight. I am advocating on behalf of the residents that are not confident enough to come in and say, ‘we need help but our help in the community is not adequate, and I cannot wait five weeks to get into mental health, and I cannot wait for a followup appointment three weeks after that.'”
Turnquist added that while there is now a provincial government in place that is more sensitive to social issues, change would come “very, very slowly.”
“I just feel we can do more in our smaller community, and quicker,” said Turnquist. “That being said, if there are any dollars left in the fiscal year in the last two months I can certainly put them to good use helping our residents.”
Town staff and council did not offer Turnquist more funding but the local psychologist has applied for a $65,000 FCSS grant for 2017.
In the meantime, council did approve an administration recommendation on Oct. 24 to provide $3,000 of FCSS grant funding to Pathways Home Family Counselling Ltd.
Karen Bradbury, the town's community and social development coordinator, said the funding to Pathways is targeted to provide support and subsidized counselling.
Patt Churchill, town councillor
"We need people like you and Karen (Bradbury) to step forward and say, 'what is being provided to us as a municipality is not acceptable.' It is not acceptable."
