Key Takeaways:
- New Brunswick’s mental health crisis care response services will see a $1.9 million budget increase after spending $7 million last year to expand services.
After spending $7 million last year to expand services, New Brunswick’s mental health crisis care response services will see a $1.9 million budget increase.
Lexi Daken, Piper Daken’s 16-year-old sister, committed suicide in 2021, prompting a review of mental health care in the province.
“I think only raising the budget by $1.9 million was a little disheartening to see,” she said, “Daken stated. “I believe that when putting together a budget, our leaders have an excellent opportunity to show us New Brunswickers that they care.”
The healthcare system receives more than $3.2 billion in this year’s budget.
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A Green Party MLA, Megan Mitton, believes the amount dedicated to mental health care is insufficient.
“More funding for mental health is required.” It needs to be a bigger part of health care, and we need to stop treating mental health as if it were unrelated to physical health,” Mitton said.
New Brunswick’s total budget for addiction services as well as mental health now stands at $174 million, including $1.9 million to expand mental health crisis care response services.
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs stated, “It’s never about the money we spend for me.” “However, the results we achieve apply to mental health, where we spend a lot of money.”
However, some legislators and advocates want to see a report on the findings.
“It doesn’t appear that much progress has been made,” Mitton said, “and what I would like to see is a clear update.”
“A small report card that shows what has been accomplished and where things stand, including where things stand with walk-in clinics and how many have been established.”
To address overall healthcare deficiencies, the province has set aside $38 million in the budget to make health care extra citizen-focused, available, accountable, inclusive, as well as service-oriented, according to the government.
“I thought we were getting better and making progress, but I don’t see it now,” Daken said.
Source: CTV News
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