Smokey Thomas "Takes a Stand" for Child and Youth Mental Health
On Thursday, March 10, OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas
signed his name to pledge to “Take a Stand” in support of the Ontario Action
Network for Child and Youth Mental Health.
This new coalition is demanding that the government end the
crisis in child and youth mental health in a province where three busloads of
children and youth commit suicide every year. The campaign, “Take a Stand” will
be launched in communities across Ontario starting this May.
“We know that 40 per cent of children and
youth don’t get help in this province when they need it. There is simply no
excuse for this,” Thomas said. “Child treatment workers have been raising the
flag for years about program closures, layoffs and cuts to services. It’s time
the McGuinty government made child and youth mental health sustainable.”
Every year, more than 25,000 Ontario children and youth are
identified to be in need of help, but only about 15,000 get that help. The
government can end this 40 percent “capacity gap” with an investment of $200
million over the next four years into the community-based agencies that actually
deliver most of the services. Funding levels have been stagnant for 17 of the
past 19 years.
“I am proud of OPSEU’s participation in this
coalition. It has been a long time coming,” said Deb Gordon, Child Treatment
Chair. “Candidates in the next provincial election need to take a stand for
child and youth mental health.”
The Ontario Action Network for Child and Youth Mental Health is
comprised of a provincial network of parents, youth advocacy groups, service
providers, unions, and other partners committed to ending the crisis in child
and youth mental health.
