Prince Edward Island’s new mental health and addictions strategy will be the roadmap to enhance and integrate mental health services in the province for the next 10 years.
Created by Prince Edward Island’s Chief Mental Health and Addictions Office, Moving Forward Together outlines the high-level direction for the province’s mental health system through 2026. It identifies some of the challenges the system faces, lays out five strategic priorities, and will guide government decision making for the coming decade.
“Improving mental health and addictions services is a key pillar of this government’s commitment to improve our overall health care system,” Premier Wade MacLauchlan said. “I am pleased to say we now have a long-term mental health strategy that will make a difference in the lives of Islanders now and into the future.
Mental wellness requires an integrated approach, which is why the five strategic pillars of the strategy cut across all areas of government. The pillars are:
• Invest Early: Focus on Children, Young People and Families
• Access to the Right Service, Treatment and Support
• Mental Health Promotion for People of All Ages
• Foster Recovery and Well-being for People of All Ages
• Innovative and Collaborative Workforce
“An integrated approach is essential for a system to offer high-quality physical and mental health care, and we will continue to build on the progress we have already achieved with this strategy as our guide,” Health and Wellness Minister Robert Henderson said. “Working together, we can make Prince Edward Island a place where people with mental illness or addictions can recover in welcoming, supportive communities and all Islanders can live life to its fullest.”
The Chief Mental Health and Addictions Office was established in January 2014 with a mandate to create a long-term strategy for mental health and addictions in Prince Edward Island. Now that that mandate has been fulfilled and the strategy delivered, the oversight of the Strategy will be the responsibility of the province’s Social Deputies Committee.
“I want to thank the many organizations and groups that met with me and my team to inform us about the quality services that are currently provided, as well as the gaps and opportunities for improvement,” Dr. Rhonda Matters said. “There are so many caring and dedicated people who make our Island a better place and for whom, a commitment to do more is firmly embedded.”
“The Canadian Mental Health Association – Prince Edward Island Division, looks forward to working with the provincial government and all Islanders to promote and enhance recovery for those individuals whose lives are impacted by mental illness and addictions,” said Reid Burke, Executive Director for PEI’s Canadian Mental Health Association.”
The strategy is available at, Moving Forward Together, Prince Edward Island’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy 2016-2026
