After promising in the spring to “end” mental health waiting lists, the co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire (QS) now speaks of reducing them “to a minimum”.
The political party reiterated its commitment on Sunday to bring 900 psychologists back into the public network. It also wants to hire 1,000 professionals who can provide psychotherapy services, such as social workers, psychoeducators and sexologists who would be deployed in the health and social services networks, as well as in schools.
QS announced this commitment last spring to eliminate waiting lists.
Sunday morning, the solidarity leader Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois rather nuanced the target of the measure, in a press conference, in Sherbrooke.
“The long-term objective is to eliminate the mental health waiting list in Quebec. But one must not veil one’s face; the mental health crisis, it is serious. We want to reduce this list as much as possible, ”he said, accompanied by his candidate in Saint-François, Mélissa Généreux, expert in public health.
“Promises thrown in the air, I think that in health, in general, Quebecers are tired of that. So what I am telling you is that we will reduce these lists to a minimum, he continued. […] That people get help as soon as possible, and that depends on the person, on the nature of the problem. »
Mr. Nadeau-Dubois denied having revised the purpose of the commitment presented last April. According to him, “there are differences in wording, but the idea is the same”.
“We are going to invest massively so that people have access to mental health care. It means that, to end the waiting lists as quickly as possible, to reduce them as much as possible, ”he argued.
In order to attract again psychologists who have deserted the public sector, a united government would “immediately” increase their salaries and enhance their professional autonomy to improve their working conditions.
To make these hirings and those of other professionals a reality, Mr. Nadeau-Dubois spoke of an investment of $280 million per year, or $1.1 billion over four years. Part of this sum would be used to increase the salaries of public psychologists, in order to fill their gap with the private sector, which averages 30%.
A few hours after the announcement, the party had to specify, however, that it would gradually increase the budget allocated to mental health to reach at the end of a first mandate $282 million per year, totaling an investment of $704 million. by 2026-2027.