BC orders Island Health to reinstate mental health supports for youth

B.C.’s Ministry of Health is ordering the Island Health Authority to reinstate key staff positions for its youth mental health program.

The directive comes after several mid-Vancouver Island school districts expressed concerns over staffing cuts. Amid a severe shortage of mental health services for children,

The districts say Island Health told them over the summer that it had cut leadership positions with the Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) program in their regions.

School officials are concerned about the increasing workload for counselors and reduced services for youth.

“What was a really strong program had to be cut in half,” said Michelle Bennett, director of inclusive education instruction for the Pacific Rim School District, which serves families from Port Alberni to Tofino.

“We couldn’t take new referrals. Our waiting list has increased.”

Several school districts – including Comox Valley and Pacific Rim districts – said Island Health did not inform them about the cuts until after the fact.

Courtenay-Comox, Qualicum-Parksville, Pacific Rim and Cowichan Valley school districts confirmed that one or two program lead positions have been cut in each of their areas.

Before Island Health was ordered to reinstate the positions, the health authority deferred a request for comment on the cuts to the Ministry of Health.

First, the ministry told CBC News that supporting youth mental health “is a key priority” and would have more to say on the issue soon.

Then, after further requests by CBC to Island Health and the ministry, the ministry said it had asked the health authority to reinstate the posts.

Now, Island Health says it will work to bring back all affected ICY positions as quickly as possible.

connecting services

ICY program helps children up to 21 years Reach out to counselors, substance-use and mental health therapists, and family and peer-support workers.

The ministry says 39 ICY teams are operating or being implemented in 20 school districts across BC, and health officials are given specific funding to provide ICY services in school districts.

Look BC promotes its integrated children and youth teams in BC:

Bennett says Island Health has filled key positions. Their job duties included allocating resources across the ministries of health, education, and children and family development, receiving referrals, managing waiting lists, and liaising with community partners, including First Nations.

Bennett says not having those staff members at the beginning of the school year has been challenging.

“We don’t have the positions to do that work and a lot of things have had to be cancelled,” he said.

To offset the deficit, Pacific Rim School District reduced the caseload of one of its clinical counselors by 50 percent to take the job of program lead, Bennett says.

The news that the health authority will reinstate this position is welcome.

“I’m really happy to hear that,” Bennett said.

“The other ICY teams … are intact and so it’s really important to equitable service across our province and provide similar services to the communities the teams are in.”