Feds weigh options to keep provinces accountable for mental-health spending
The federal government is taking a close look at options to guarantee results from newly proposed mental-health funding to provinces, according to Canada's mental health minister Carolyn Bennett.
Bennett says that could include new legislation that would accompany the Canada Mental Health Transfer to ensure standards are met.
“We’ve been talking about whether there needs to be a companion act around codifying the transfer, but also a set of expectations,” she said in an interview with CTVNews.ca.
“One of the things we’ve been really lacking even during COVID, it’s been difficult, is the data and without data we don’t know the areas of greatest need or whether things are working. How do we fund what works and stop funding for what doesn’t?”
Bennett said developing accountability measures will coincide with her team’s job to establish national standards of mental-health care across the country, which at this point are a patchwork of different targets and objectives.
“There are some standards for substance use programs but I need to know a little bit more about that in terms of what is the evaluation of what’s working and what’s not working…how do we move forward as we would for cardiology or for physical medicine?” she said.
The Liberal government first announced the mental-health transfer proposal in their election campaign, and earmarked $4.5 billion for the project.
They promised it would “help each jurisdiction focus on and solve critical backlogs in service and provide help to those who need it, according to the unique needs in each region.”
The proposal is the first pillar listed in Bennett’s mandate letter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asked that the minister “work with the minister of health, and with the support of the deputy prime minister and minister of finance, to establish a permanent, ongoing Canada Mental Health Transfer to help expand the delivery of high-quality, accessible and free mental health services, including for prevention and treatment.”
Mental health spending in the provinces is currently dished out through the existing Canada Health Transfer. However, according to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the country spends considerably less on mental health than comparable countries.
Their 2012 report detailed that just over seven cents out of every public health care dollar goes to mental health, far below the 10 to 11 per cent of public health spending devoted to mental health in countries such as New Zealand and the U.K.
Today, Canada’s share of mental health spending is closer to nine per cent.
While provinces are usually turned off by the notion of money with “strings attached,” it’s not the first time the federal government would be introducing them.
It did so in 2004, when it announced $5.5 billion for the Wait Times Reduction Fund over 10 years, which required all provinces and territories to commit to a set of common wait time targets and report their progress in meeting those targets.
A decade later the Wait Time Alliance reported that some provinces, notably Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador and Saskatchewan, had made “substantive” and “sustained” progress in reducing wait times.
Dr. David Gratzer, psychiatrist and co-chief of the General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health told CTVNews.ca in an interview that while more federal dollars is a step in the right direction, spending wisely is key.
“We’re moving in the right direction but we also need to move smartly. It’s not just about writing cheques, it’s also thinking about what we’re purchasing,” he said.
“More funding sometimes results in significantly better outcomes. Sometimes more funding results in better compensation for a handful of health-care providers…I think part of the solution is found in us being more internationally competitive with our funding.”
Gratzer pointed to an innovative program developed by the U.K. government to make psychological therapies more affordable, as an example of where the federal government in Canada could play a role.
He also noted enhancing digital technologies in the space is another interesting path the Liberals could carve out.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Ottawa helped launch Wellness Together, an online portal that connects users to mental health resources, in response to a rise in mental health and substance use concerns. Last week, the government introduced PocketWell, a supplementary app that helps Canadians access supports and track their well-being.
Bennett says she’s excited to keep nurturing innovative ideas.
“Part of my role is finding out all the great things that are happening across the country and then for us to be able to magnify them, intensify them, amplify them and see if they can be scaled up to [meet] that goal of the most appropriate care, in the most appropriate place, by the most appropriate person, at the most appropriate time,” she said.
Bennett said the pandemic has created a new level of awareness of the need for improved mental health services and there’s a stronger appetite for change.
“I think there’s been a much more collective understanding of the need to support one another in terms of mental and emotional and spiritual health,” she said.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.
Local Spotlight
Want to boost your trivia score? Learn from these high school trivia whiz kids
English, history, entertainment, math and geography: high school trivia teams could be quizzed on any of it when they compete at the Reach for the Top Nationals in Ottawa in June.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Federal government bans watercraft from Manitoba lake popular with tourists
The threat of zebra mussels has prompted the federal government to temporarily ban watercraft from a Manitoba lake popular with tourists.
Toronto-area dessert shop featured by Keith Lee forced to move after zoning complaint
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
Regina police hope new biometric monitoring system will save lives in detention facility
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.