(Quebec) Although he recognizes that there is still a lot of work to be done in mental health, the Minister of Social Services, Lionel Carmant, assures that he has managed to reverse the trend. He cites as proof the reduction in recent months in waiting lists to access services.
As of May 2024, there were 16,605 people waiting to receive mental health services, according to the government dashboard. Three months later, this number has decreased to 14,585. Although the figure remains significant, the minister is confident that it is a “trend” in the right direction.
“Week after week, we see the decrease,” said the minister in an interview with The Canadian Press in his office at the National Assembly.
Lionel Carmant maintains that it is the addition of walk-in services that has done its work. “The deployment of this measure will allow us to continue to see an improvement in waiting lists,” underlines the minister.
He gives the example of open areas which are resources for young people aged 12 to 25, their families and loved ones and which offer various front-line services. The minister indicates that there are around forty in Quebec.
“The strategy is to open the front doors and once the person knocks on the door, to make sure you accompany them to the right service,” says Mr. Carmant.
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for mental health, and although it is behind us today, the minister maintains that its effects have not completely faded.
“The needs are still there. The increase in demand is still there. I would say the world has changed since the pandemic. People are more vocal about their mental health needs, but people are also more impatient,” explains the minister.
Asylum seekers and mental health
Prime Minister François Legault has made immigration his hobby horse and continues to insist that the federal government must better distribute asylum seekers throughout the rest of Canada. In June, he made a “certain link” between “the explosion in the number of asylum seekers” and “the explosion in the number of homeless people and people with mental health problems”.
Asked during the interview whether it was necessary to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Quebec to reduce waiting lists, the minister responded in the negative. ” No way. We want to improve access to the service. It’s the priority and it’s not something that I take into account in my decisions,” he assured.
“It is certain that if there are fewer immigrants with mental health problems, that will help (the situation),” added the minister.
Deficit of 11 billion
Lionel Carmant also assures that his government’s desire to tighten public finances after its historic deficit of 11 billion will have no impact on mental health services.
“Most of the things we have done are linked to a reorganization of services,” explained the minister. He gives the example of the deployment of walk-in services in CLSCs.
It also indicates that positions are funded, but that they are slow to be filled due to the labor shortage. “It is more an issue of human resources than of financing,” said the minister.