Provincial funding boost in mental health services welcome news for Windsor-Essex health officials
Initial reaction to Ontario’s 2023 budget indicates it’s being well received by pharmacists and mental health care officials in Windsor-Essex.
But, those same officials are still waiting for more details about how millions of dollars in funding will be distributed.
“It's always a great day when we receive news that the government is providing funds for mental health and addictions,” said Kim Willis, director of communications and mental health promotion with the Windsor-Essex branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
The province said it will increase efforts to help Ontarians who deal with mental health or addictions issues with a $425 million funding boost over three years.
“It's the largest increase to base funding in a decade,” Willis said. “So really long overdue. We've been advocating for additional funding to maintain the level of care that we provide, so very welcome news.”
The province said the money will be utilized in community-led programs and to make a broad range of addictions services available across Ontario that are easy to access.
“That being said, the devil is in the details sometimes, so we're just still waiting for more clarification on how that funding will be rolled out,” Willis said.
“We have seen a 15 per cent increase in the number of clients we're serving here. And we know that's just the people that come here. So certainly the need is out there. And again, this is the biggest increase in a decade. So really great news and we're able to maintain the level of care and quality that our patients and clients need.”
“Initial reaction is quite positive,” said Bill Marra, the president and CEO of Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare.
Marra explained there’s a $2 million investment that speaks to a housing component that appeals to healthcare and addictions specialists.
“It's housing that's going to be dedicated to individuals that are in recovery. And an incredible important component of recovery is stabilizing the life of the individual above and beyond the challenge with an addiction,” Marra said. “So we're pleased to see that.”
“We're also host here to the regional Children's Center and Hotel Dieu Health Care. We're very pleased to see considerable investment in children and youth mental health, five per cent budget increase as well based budget increase, and some barrier free initiatives around improving access to services. We really want to eliminate our wait times.”
Marra said HDGH is also pleased to see considerable investment into the long-term care sector, noting the hospital has a proposal pending with the province.
“All around really good news,” he said. “Now it's a matter of determining what the details look like.”
Meanwhile, pharmacists in Ontario are being given the power to prescribe new medications for common ailments such as acne, canker sores and diaper dermatitis.
“It's great,” exclaimed Tim Brady, owner of Brady’s Drug Store.
“I mean, we've just a couple months ago started the first 13 and actually, I had somebody come in. It's just a really convenient issue.”
However, Brady remains cautious about the details, hoping that pharmacists’ scope will continue to expand.
“It still puts us behind other provinces. I think Alberta is the leader with like 32, and we're looking for things especially with the drug shortages, you know, hopefully will expand to things like interchangeable, interchanging meds and such,” Brady said.
“But it's a good move forward. It's better for the people of Ontario. It allows them and the people from Essex County when it's, you know, six, seven at night your doctor is not around, this is going to give you an option to get care now instead of waiting or suffering for another 24 hours until you can find a physician.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.