Psychologist suspension raises more questions about youth mental health

More questions are being raised about youth mental health in the province after it has been revealed that the province’s only child psychologist has been suspended for questionable reasons, says Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones. The issue was raised today in the House of Assembly on the heels of a recent report into youth mental health released by the Child and Youth Advocate.

“We have been raising youth mental health issues and the lack of services since 2008,” said Ms. Jones. “Unfortunately, government is still in a frame of mind that everything is okay. The former minister told the people of the province that we had a ‘range of mental health services in this province second to none.’ Today we look at the report from the Child and Youth Advocate and we see a very different picture. It is typical for this government to say one thing while the facts show something very different.”

The report regarding the investigation into Janeway Psychiatry Unit J4D programs and services identified a litany of issues with human resources, budgetary restraints, programming and treatment gaps, lack of community wraparound services and recruitment and retention issues. The situation has deteriorated even further since it has been learned that Eastern Health has suspended the only child psychologist and critical psychotherapy services are no longer being provided.

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