FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2006
Joint effort
urgently needed to increase funding for children’s mental
health says union
SUDBURY: The union representing
child mental health workers in Sudbury and Manitoulin says a
joint effort is required now to address chronic underfunding,
as current funding levels are not allowing staff to meet the
needs of children at risk in the local community.
Jeannine Rousselle,
spokesperson for Ontario Public Service Employees Union
(OPSEU) Local 666, Child and Family Centre, says the union and
management must work together to convince the provincial
government to increase funding for local children’s mental
health services.
“For the last eleven years, the
provincial government has not risen to the challenge of
meeting the needs of our client group,” said Rousselle. “Many
programs are currently underfunded and workers have taken pay
cuts to address deficits.”
The Child and Family Centre
offers a variety of Children’s Mental Health services
including counseling and other support programs for children
and families in the districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin, and
for rural areas as distant as Chapleau.
Union representatives will
attend the Centre’s annual general meeting today (June 22,
2006) at 8:30 am at the Holiday Inn in Sudbury. The union
hopes to start moving the process forward toward joint action
on underfunding.
Guest speaker at the meeting is
Gordon Floyd, Executive Director of Children’s Mental Health
Ontario, an association that advocates for improved services
for children and their families suffering from mental health
difficulties.
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Further information:
Jeannine Rousselle, Unit
Steward 566-5866 ext. 2531
Harriet Kideckel, Chief Steward, 561-1894
