In response to growing mental health and addictions issues across Canada, Grey County council has resolved to form a mental health and addictions task force to assess the region’s mental health resources and identify local priorities.
Following a notice of motion by Chatsworth Mayor and County Councillor Scott Mackey on Jan. 27, council unanimously voted for the creation of the task force, and directed staff to draft its terms of reference.
The task force will consider the following priorities:
- Identifying treatment providers in Grey County, as well as their funding structures and the services they provide.
- Identifying gaps in service providers’ treatment options, as well as wait lists for treatment and how these issues might be addressed.
- Advocating to various levels of government for increased access to mental health and addiction services, and seeking policy, funding, and other solutions to enhance access to mental health and addiction supports.
- Developing a local response strategy that identifies short and long term priorities for bolstering mental health and addiction supports across Grey County.
Members of council highlighted issues within the county that they hope to begin addressing through the task force.
“I just wanted to add my appreciation to Councillor Mackey for bringing this motion forward,” said Meaford Deputy Mayor and County Councillor Shirley Keaveney. “In the Municipality of Meaford we lost four lives far too soon in the past week, and that has really impacted our community in big ways, so this motion is very timely.”
“Since the pandemic started, we've lost more lives [in the region] to addiction issues than we have to COVID-19, so we've always been living in that addiction issues epidemic,” said Grey Highlands Deputy Mayor and County Councillor Aakash Desai.
Grey Bruce Health Unit has recorded 25 COVID-19 deaths to date and 34 opioid-related deaths through 2020 and 2021.
“I do hope that as a council, as a level of government, we're willing to go beyond this and take bold steps such as [considering] safe injection sites, and so on,” Desai said. “I know these are tough issues, tough conversations, but I do hope that, as a level of government, regardless of what term of council it is, these are conversations we are able to have in a very open, transparent and very friendly manner.”
The Blue Mountains Deputy Mayor and County Councillor Peter Bordignon questioned how the task force would be funded to carry out its goals.
“Good discussion is great, but at the end of the day, things have to be paid for. What is the funding model that the task force will be looking at?” he asked.
“I think one of the tasks that we need to undertake at this table is to really understand the funding model that exists right now – who is responsible for what? How are they being resourced to undertake their responsibilities? What, in their opinion, is working well, where are their gaps, where are their opportunities?” responded CAO Kim Wingrove.
Wingrove said that understanding the status quo will be integral to developing strategies moving forward.
“Much of the mental health support comes to places like CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association) and GBHS (Grey Bruce Health Services) through the province, and I think we want to, first of all, listen to the people who are tasked with delivering those responsibilities, and understand, and then maybe there's a conversation to happen with the province,” she said.
“So hopefully, we can consider everybody's role in all of this and bring back in a report, a good summary for everyone's understanding.”
Councillors also pointed out that work being carried out in other areas – such as through the county’s Bruce-Grey Community and Safety Well Being Plan – will be of use to the new task force.
Hanover Mayor Sue Paterson argued that local health organizations will be keen to cooperate with the task force’s initiatives as well.
“Last year at this time, at the Association of Local Public Health Agencies symposium, the Grey Bruce Health Unit brought forward a resolution that once this pandemic is over, the same efforts that are being used right now with the pandemic will be turned over to the opioid crisis, so public health is on board and would be more than willing to be a partner,” she said.
The terms of reference for the task force will be brought back to council for consideration at a later date.
