The “Desperately Waiting” special report (DW) showed gaps and deficiencies that have existed for more than two decades in Saskatchewan’s children and youth mental health services..Saskatchewan’s Advocate for Children and Youth, Dr. Lisa Broda, created the report. It involved approximately 500 participants from different ministries, communities, families, and young people..The last children and youth mental health report was the 2014 Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan (MHAAP)..Broda said there was some progress but there are still “systemic gaps.”.“This has created a landscape in which available services are focused on reacting to crisis, leaving a significant number of young people in Saskatchewan who desperately need support waiting for services until they, too, reach a crisis point,” said Broda. .“The findings of Advocate’s ‘Desperately Waiting’ report are nothing short of tragic,” said NDP Official Opposition Deputy Leader Nicole Sarauer. .The report revealed 38% of Saskatchewan children and youth had a decline in their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. .Approximately 22% reported engaging in self-harm, and 23% considered suicide in the past year. Over the past decade, an average of 20 children and youth each year took their own lives in the province..“It’s very clear suicide is the gravest outcome of poor mental health and well-being in children. There’s no question that COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues,” said Broda to reporters at the Legislative Building. .Chris and Wanda Ball were with the NDP when they discussed the DW report with reporters. Their son Kye Ball committed suicide in 2017. They appealed to the government to implement the report. .“It’s been a problem for years… We’ve had our marches. We’ve ended up on the front steps of this building and there has been nothing done and they won’t give us a timeline on when they’re going to fix this problem,” said Chris Ball..Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Everett Hindley acknowledged to reporters his office received the report two weeks ago. He had not looked at the report until this past Friday. .He has refused to meet with Chris and Wanda Ball. When asked several times by reporters, he gave a statement not acknowledging the refusal. .“We’re going to continue to have discussions with our partners and fellow ministries and try to address this as quickly as possible, identify, you know, how we can best approach this to make some meaningful change,” said Hindley..Two recommendations for the government could help youth such as Kye. A “middle-tier” residential service for children and youth, and expanding detox and addictions treatment..“The participants stated that when children and youth struggle or find themselves in a mental health or addictions-related crisis, the system is plagued with challenges such as availability of service providers and difficulty accessing services,” said Broda. .“There are only 25 active mental health beds dedicated to children and youth in the province, and they are consistently full. Detox treatment is under-resourced. Saskatchewan needs more inpatient and outpatient care, particularly in rural areas and the north. Kids are falling through the cracks and this government is missing in action,” said Sarauer..Hindley did not have any specific recommendations the government would immediately implement, but agreed the government needs to do more..“I think we’ve all identified that we need to make it easier for people to be able to access services, regardless of whether it’s mental health, addictions, or any health-care service to make it more seamless for people,” said Hindley..The Advocate for Children and Youth is an independent officer of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan..Chris Oldcorn is a Western Standard Reporter based in Regina.,coldcorn@westernstandard.news,Twitter: @chrisoldcorn,.Parler: @chrisoldcorn
