Editorial
Less than a month after announcing plans to improve the province's child intervention system, the Redford government has moved forward with another important child-related initiative.
Following a two-day multi-stakeholder round table conference that looked at the province's children's care system, the government says it will be making more mental health support available for abused children and their supporters. In all, $5 million has been earmarked for the undertaking.
As some of the most vulnerable residents in the province, children and youths who have been the victims of various types of abuse are wholly dependent on the availability of specialists and related programs.
Without the care that such programs and specialists can provide, some of those children and youth could find themselves on the road to long-term mental health problems, says Minster of Human Resources Manmeet Bhullar.
ìChildren and youth who have been abused or neglected are often very affected by the trauma they have endured,î said Bhullar. ìThis funding will allow us to do a better job of addressing mental health concerns of children and youth who are receiving intervention services.î
Health Minister Fred Horne added, ìmaking sure that Alberta children, including those receiving intervention services and their families are supported is critical to the future health of our province.î
The $5 million will be targeted to several specific areas, including to ìprovide child intervention staff with instant access to expert clinical and medical consultation that will help them better understand available psychiatric treatment plans and appropriate medicationsî and ìprovide children's mental health supports for high-needs children and offer effective strategies to help foster parents and other caregivers.î
The money will also be used to develop a cross-ministry mental health action plan that will ìenhance and sustain a high-level of support for children involved in child intervention and expand the reach to support all children and families with mental health needs.î
Last month the province unveiled a five-point plan focusing on enhancing information sharing about children in need, addressing the root causes that bring children into care, and supporting collaborative research to improve services to children and their families.
Together the five-point plan and this new $5 million mental health initiative represents a very important investment in the health and well-being of Alberta children and youths.
While questions remain as to why Alberta children and youths do not already have all the health resources they require, these new steps should ensure that more is done to help those in need.
And for that the Redford government should be commended.
