New report questions P.E.I.’s use of money earmarked for mental health and addictions

P.E.I. reallocated federal money that was intended to be spent on mental health programs, a new report suggests.

The report, called Take the Money and Run, tries to track the $25 billion promised last year as part of a 10-year health accord between the provinces and the federal government.

Part of that money was supposed to be spent to improve mental health services. But Glenn Brimacombe of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, one of the report’s authors, said P.E.I. has not reported spending any of the new money on mental health last year. 

“It doesn’t mean, of course, that the province is not investing money into mental health and substance abuse health, we know they are. But of the new money that was made available through the $25 billion … Prince Edward Island has chosen to allocate the money into other areas.”

In an response to CBC, the province said neither the Department of Health and Wellness nor Health P.E.I. received requests to provide information to inform the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health and that “the report does not accurately reflect the realities of Prince Edward Island’s investments and how the federal funding is being spent.”

It went on to outline what it says is millions of dollars in spending on programs including the mobile mental health units and school wellness teams in the past two fiscal years.

However mental health advocates such as Ellen Taylor, who has struggled with an eating disorder and addiction, said it is still difficult to access services and the new report makes her feel discouraged. 

“People are telling us about how important our mental health is but then to see this from the province, it’s kind of disappointing in that it just kind of feels again like it’s put on the back burner.”

Taylor said it makes people struggling with mental health and addictions “feel they’re looked at as second class people.” She believes all the money being transferred for mental health should be spent on mental health. 

“The wait times for addiction services is long, and I think that’s just because there is not enough staff so the money there is really needed, and they have a treatment program at Mount Herbert as well — that’s a great program — but again, they don’t have enough people because they don’t have enough staff.”

Manitoba, B.C. also named

The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health includes 18 mental health organizations, including the Canadian Medical Association and the College of Family Physicians of Canada. It said the lack of investment will continue to limit people’s access to care

“Why aren’t governments being more responsive to the needs of their residents in the context of trying to address and improve and expand public funding to expand access — timely access that is — to mental health and substance abuse health care?” 

The report’s authors said Manitoba and B.C. also did not spend any of the allotted money on mental health, and seven of the provinces and territories allocated 10 per cent or less.

They recommend the federal government keep a closer eye on how future funding for mental health is spent.