Notably absent from the federal government’s budget released last week was mention of a firm timeline to unleash funds through the forthcoming mental health transfer to provinces and territories.
The Liberals first promised the $4.5 billion cash infusion over five years during the last federal election campaign, noting that the new transfer would help establish national standards of care.
The Canadian Mental Health Association says its “very disappointed” by the exclusion of the funding details.
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“We saw a lot of commitment and talk during the election campaign and then subsequently after I mean, the creation of a new ministerial mandate to focus exclusively on mental health and addiction is a really strong step in the right direction,” said Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy for the association.
“Howevexjmtzywr if that ministerial portfolio is not accompanied by robust investment to actually improve the system that we know is so woefully broken, and policy change to accompany that investment, than we’re not going to see the change that we’ve been talking about for so long.”
Kennell added that there’s a real urgency to get the money flowing, given the pandemic’s ongoing strain on Canadians’ mental health.
“The situation is only getting worse for the most marginalized in our communities so the time for action is now,” she said.
Canada’s mental health minister Carolyn Bennett told CTVNews.ca in January that she is consulting with her provincial and territorial counterparts on the parameters of the transfer and considering accountability measures to guarantee results.
This money is separate from the Canada Health Transfer (CHT), which sees billions of dollars go to the provinces and territories to help operate the public health-care system.
Asked why the transfer wasn’t included in the budget and when the money will be dolled out, Bennett’s office said only the government remains committed to the work.
“Our Government is deeply concerned about the burden of mental illness on Canadians, their families, and their communities. We committed to establishing a permanent, ongoing Canada Mental Health Transfer, to help expand the delivery of high-quality, accessible and free mental health services, including for prevention and treatment,” a statement to CTVNews.ca reads.
“Budget 2022 demonstrates our ongoing commitment to work with provinces and territories on investing in health care and proposes immediate investments to increase access to mental health care, and to strengthen the public health systems that keep Canadians safe.”
The budget set asides $140 million over two years for the continued operation of government’s Wellness Together Canada portal, $100 million over three years to Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program to tackle the opioid crisis, and $3.7 million over four years to develop a new mental health fund Black federal public servants.
RELATED IMAGESview larger image
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health Carolyn Bennett and MP Arif Virani meet with workers and volunteers at a supervised consumption site in Toronto, on Thursday, March 17, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
