Liberal Plan Will Improve Access to Mental Health Care

Tignish, April 5 – Access to mental health professionals and care will be significantly improved under a new Liberal government.

“Our focus on mental health is improving access to health professionals,” says Liberal Leader Wade MacLauchlan. “For that reason, we are proposing major new investments in recruitment initiatives – which will mean that Islanders seeking care will have better and more rapid access to the services they need, where they need them.”

Specifically, the Liberals are proposing the following measures:

• Recruitment of New Psychiatrists – Ensure Islanders have improved access to physician-based mental health care in Canada
• Mobile Mental Health Care Services – Expand services to communities across the Island
• Establishment of Innovative Partnerships – Explore new ways to provide mental health and addictions counselling, including partnering with community groups like the Canadian Mental Health Association to offer responsive mental health and addictions counselling solutions
• New addictions treatment and housing for youth

An additional $50.8 million specifically earmarked for Prince Edward Island in the recent federal budget will allow the province to go even further in the delivery of mental health and addictions care.

“The most important aspect of mental health services is ensuring that Islanders in all parts of our province have access close to home,” District 27 Liberal Candidate Hal Perry said.

“For that reason, I am very pleased that the Liberal commitment to expand the Tignish Health Centre will include appropriate space for a mental health walk-in clinic.”

The proposed Tignish walk-in clinic will be added to the current list, which includes Montague, Charlottetown, Summerside, Lennox Island, O’Leary and Elmsdale.

Over the next five years, the Liberal plan for healthcare includes a $100 million investment in mental health and addictions.

“We are confident that our community-based plan for mental health will result in the best access to services anywhere in Canada,” MacLauchlan said.

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Media Contact:
Mary Moszynski
[email protected]
Phone: 902-393.8534
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