Skip to main content

What will be Manitoba's governance structure for mental health and addictions? Minister Goertzen won't say

Thursday June 21, I asked Minister of Health Kelvin Goertzen what he was planning for the governance structure for mental health and addictions?   My question and his response are below. 

Mr. Gerrard: The minister has recently tabled the VIRGO report. Among that–the recommendations is some discussion of a model for governance of mental health and addictions.
      I wonder if the minister could provide clarity on what his plans are with regard to the governance of mental health and addictions in Manitoba.
Mr. Goertzen: Sorry, I may have–thank you, Mr. Chairperson–may have missed the very first part of that question. I was being heckled from my own side, which sometimes happens in a parliamentary setting.
      I think he was asking, though, about the future of AFM or mental health governance.
Mr. Gerrard: Let me clarify.
      In the VIRGO report, which was brought forward by Dr. Rush, there is a specific discussion of the future of the governance of mental health and addictions province-wide.
      What is the vision that the minister has for the governance of mental health and addictions of province-wide?
Mr. Goertzen: I thank the member for the question.
      And I think for too long–and this was part of the impetus of the VIRGO report and our government's commitment on mental health and addiction, that they've–that these have worked in silos in the past. And I don't think that they were developed that way because people thought it was better for them to work in silos. But I think that there's been a lot of focus in the last 15, 20 years on mental health, a lot of good focus in terms of awareness–far less stigma associated with it, although there's more to do, of course, on that front.
      And I think there's a greater recognition that there's a correlation between mental health and addictions. I think I read somewhere there was 60  per cent or more than that of those who were dealing with a mental health issue had also–were either currently or had dealt with an addictions issue. So there's a strong correlation between the two.
      You know, I–we believe that the governance should happen through Shared Health. The exact method of that, I think, has yet to be determined. I would believe that addictions and mental health will be co-ordinated largely through Shared Health, but then delivered at a local level.
      I think I shared with the member before–or, maybe with another member in the House, maybe the member for Assiniboia (Mr. Fletcher), that when it comes to addictions, I think we need to look at different models.
      Certainly, government will always and should always play a role when it comes to the delivery of services in addictions, but I don't think we do enough to tap organizations who are invested and want to invest in doing more treatment, whether that day treatment or longer term treatment, when it comes to addictions.
      I recently was in Minnesota and had the opportunity to speak to some folks down there. I know that in the States, they have a good reputation when it comes to the delivery of addiction services. And, to a large extent, their standards exist within the statute in Minnesota, and they measure outcomes against that statute, and they commission services, some within government and many not within government, against that statute.
      And one of the challenges that I've found as Minister of Health on this particular part of the file is that we didn't have a method to–if we were commissioning out services, we didn't have a method to judge those who might be applying in to provide services from a non-profit perspective.
      And so I think we've essentially developed a method now to be able to–if we decided to do an RFP on certain services, to actually be able to measure that against a standard to ensure that the right service is being provided. And that didn't exist before, because I think the model of care was probably mostly government-centred, and I think we need to move beyond that.
Mr. Gerrard: Yes. I would take that a little bit further. In terms of what the minister envisions, is there going to be, you know, a single individual within Shared Health who's responsible? Is there going to be a committee? Is there going to be a board, or is there–you know, what structure is there going to be in terms of who is responsible for mental health and addictions?
      Will the minister be making at some point an announcement about who and what sort of organizational approach the–is going to be taken?
Mr. Goertzen: Yes.
Mr. Gerrard: That was one of the shortest answers I've had. Good, we will await that.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Dougald Lamont speaks at Meth Forum last night to present positive ideas to address the epidemic, while exposing the lack of action by the Pallister Conservatives

Last night at the Notre Dame Recreation Centre in St. Boniface, at an Election Forum on the Meth Crisis in Manitoba, Dougald Lamont spoke eloquently about the severity of the meth epidemic and described the Liberal plan to address it.  The Liberal Plan will make sure that there is a single province-wide phone number for people, or friends of people, who need help dealing with meth to call (as there is in Alberta) and that there will be rapid access to a seamless series of steps - stabilization, detoxification, treatment, extended supportive housing etc so that people with meth addiction can be helped well and effectively and so that they can rebuild their lives.  The Liberal meth plan will be helped by our approach to mental health (putting psychological therapies under medicare), and to poverty (providing better support).  It will also be helped by our vigorous efforts to help young people understand the problems with meth in our education system and to provide alternative positive

Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

  Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020   (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: ·          We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. ·            We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted.  ·          We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to   improve ventilation and humidity long before the PCs acted. Helped hundreds of individuals with issues during the pandemic including those on social assistance

The Indigenous Science Conference in Winnipeg June 14-16

  June 14 to 16, I spent three days at the Turtle Island Indigenous Science Conference.  It was very worthwhile.   Speaker after speaker talked of the benefits of using both western or mainstream science and Indigenous science.  There is much we can learn from both approaches.   With me above is Myrle Ballard, one of the principal organizers of the conference.  Myrle Ballard, from Lake St. Martin in Manitoba, worked closely with Roger Dube a professor emeritus at Rochester Institute of Technology, and many others to make this conference, the first of its kind, a success.  As Roger Dube, Mohawk and Abenaki, a physicist, commented "My feeling is that the fusion of traditional ecological knowledge and Western science methodology should rapidly lead the researchers to much more holistic solutions to problems."   Dr. Myrle Ballard was the first person from her community to get a PhD.  She is currently a professor at the University of Manitoba and the Director of Indigenous Science