P.E.I. health minister says government unlikely to meet expectations of mental-health advocates

P.E.I.'s minister of health and wellness says it's unlikely the government will meet the expectations of the How Many Wade group lobbying for improved mental health-care services on the Island.

The group has been sending open letters to Premier Wade MacLauchlanevery day for 100 days, outlining the shortcomings itsfound dealing with the province's mental-health services.

• Mental-health advocacy group frustrated with province's response to list of fixes

The group has also outlined nine fixes itwould like to see.The campaign's organizer, Sarah Stewart-Clark, saidshe's been frustrated by the government's lack of movement on the fixes and lack of response to the letters.

The suggested fixes are:

• More nurses with psychiatric training in the ERs.
• Amobile mental-health crisis team.
• Islanders with mental illness moved out of ERs and into appropriate psychiatric units.
• Achild psychiatristpractisingin person in Charlottetown.
• Asuicide prevention strategy.
• Aserious conversation about child molestation and a strategy to help survivors.
• More therapists in the public system, especially those trained in trauma.
• Achild advocate.
• Acomplement of 15 to 17 psychiatristspractisingon PEI.

Not a crisis, minister says

Health Minister Rob Henderson said improving the system is a priority and work is being done, but that the government wants to make sure it's being thorough and involving groups with expertise.

"If I look at the nine items on the list, sevenof them would be reflective of our department and most of those are either [items] we have dealt with or we're in the process of dealing with," he said. "But will it meet this particular group's expectations? Probably not. It's just the way it goes in the business that we're in, I guess."

He said the Department of Health has made good progress in the past year, including working to fine-tune its suicide prevention plan and hiring a doctor with expertise in mobile crisis response.

• P.E.I. to create suicide prevention plan
• Health PEI hires doctor with expertise in mobile crisis response

Hendersonsaidreading the stories being shared on the How Many WadeFacebookgroup isheartwrenchingfor him, but he rejects labelling of the current situation as a "crisis."

The provinceisn't alone in dealing withpsychiatrist shortages and people with complex mental-health needs, he said.

"It's difficult situations that familiescan find themselves in," he said. "I know each individual that is going through what they would deem a crisis within their family, nothing would be fast enough. You want things tomorrow. But as minister of health and wellness in this province I can assure people we are very aware of these issues."

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