Community News

HEALTH, OPIOID CRISIS WORSENING AS ELECTION OFFERS SOLUTIONS

CATHERINE WHITNALL cwhitnall@mykawar tha.com

After a decade of insufficient funding, community mental health services and programs need more than just a Band-aid; it's time for stitches.

Demand for services were already exceeding resources prior to the COVID-19 pandemic which has had an impact on the mental wellness of people of all ages and backgrounds.

And on top of the increase in people reaching out for mental health supports, many people are

coping with drugs, which could be deadly due to a highly contaminated drug supply.

"The reality is, community-based mental health needs more support and more funding," said Jack Veitch, manager of community engagement and education with the Canadian Mental Health Association Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge regarding what is needed to improve the mental health care landscape post-election.

"We haven't received an increase [in funding] in eight years. That doesn't mean there hasn't been any investments in mental health, and we're thankful for what we do received, but it's often time-sensitive or allocated to a specific program."

Veitch notes that only 2.16 per cent of the province's budget is dedicated to mental health despite the fact that "demand on our services has significantly increased" and the area is "seeing some of the highest ever rates of anxiety."

A recent study conducted by the Canadian Mental Health Association and USB researchers assessing the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health found over a third (37 per cent) of Canadians say their mental health has declined since the onset of the pandemic; eight per cent have had recent thoughts or feelings of suicide.

Many (64 per cent) worried about new variants and more than half (57 per cent) expressed concerns about the virus circulating for years to come. Nearly 80 per cent believe the province will be in a mental health crisis when the pandemic is over.

To make matters worse, said Veitch, smaller and rural branches have found it difficult to retain and hire staff.

"We currently have 15 vacancies because we simply can't offer the same competitive salaries as larger [urban] centres," said Veitch.

This obviously impacts the delivery of services, especially for children who continue to wait on lists for care that were already too long pre-pandemic; more than two years in some parts of the province.

Veitch points out effectively addressing the mental health needs of any community requires a multidisciplinary approach and the agency isn't the only service feeling the pandemic pinch on services.

Agencies dealing with the opioid crisis have also been challenged, especially over the pandemic, as year-over-year overdoses and deaths continue to increase.

Donna Rogers is the executive director of Fourcast in Peterborough, which will be operating the area's first Consumption and Treatment Services site.

It's hard to say if the pandemic has caused an escalation in demand for services, said Rogers, since Fourcast has only recently reopened to walk-in services.

But the COVID-19 pandemic added more stress to peoples' lives. People were forced to work from home, or were out of jobs entirely. The cost of living and housing increases have also added further anxieties.

"All of these things will put pressures on people and will impact mental health and substance-use decisions as ways to cope with social pressures," said Rogers.

Worse yet, an alarming number of people have been poisoned, some dying, courtesy of a toxic drug supply.

While Rogers commends Peterborough Public Health for being connected with the community, and putting out warnings when there are a rash of overdoses, "the information isn't giving us solutions in how to reduce the toxic drug supply."

But information relating to overdoses, as well as overall mental health, continues to be alarming.

The Ross Memorial Hospital emergency department has seen the number of mental health visits, including addictions, increase from 1,925 in 2019 to 2,228 in 2021.

In May 2021, the hospital, in partnership with the Peterborough Regional Health Centre and Fourcast, launched a Rapid Access Addiction Medicine (RAAM) clinic.

The clinic provides immediate access to lifesaving treatment by offering same-day counselling, addiction medication and prescription therapies for people who are addicted to alcohol or opioids.

Since its launch, clinic staff have worked with 255 clients but that only relates to those who physically came into the hospital, said mental health and complex continuing care program manager/director Thomas Jones.

To further support those unable to access hospital services due to such barriers as transportation and COVID-19 restrictions, an outreach program — developed in response to discussions with community partners in the fall — was launched in January.

The program builds on the virtual counselling and day program services the hospital has been offering during the pandemic.

"There's always been a need in this community ... The numbers don't lie," said Jones pointing to the 11,462 mental health outpatient visits from the past year. "And the community outreach isn't factored into those numbers."

As the Kawarthas grapple with mental health challenges, community agencies are also looking for ways to stem the rushing flow of overdose deaths.

To deal with the opioid crisis, solutions are needed on all ends of the spectrum, especially for those using drugs recreationally or those who are marginalized and at higher risk of death, said Rogers.

For people who are visibly homeless, the risk is far greater, she notes, and there needs to be an immediate response to help them.

That response includes housing, getting people off the street so they can get well.

"Housing is critical to overall well-being and all segments of society," said Rogers.

"We haven't received an increase [in funding] in eight years. That doesn't mean there hasn't been any investments in mental health, and we're thankful for what we do received, but it's often time-sensitive or allocated to a specific program."

- Jack Veitch,

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2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

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