The Ministry of Health in British Columbia has directed the Island Health Authority to restore crucial staff positions within a youth mental health program following concerns raised by various mid-Vancouver Island school districts regarding staff reductions. These cuts exacerbated the already limited mental health services available for children in the area.
Island Health reportedly informed the school districts over the summer about the elimination of lead positions within the Integrated Child and Youth (ICY) program in their respective regions. This move raised apprehension among school officials, who feared increased workloads for counselors and diminished services for young individuals.
Michell Bennett, the director of instruction for inclusive education at the Pacific Rim School District, noted that the program had been significantly reduced, leading to the inability to accept new referrals and causing a backlog in the waitlist.
School districts such as Comox Valley, Pacific Rim, Courtenay-Comox, Qualicum-Parksville, and Cowichan Valley disclosed that one or two program lead positions had been axed in each of their areas without prior notification from Island Health.
Initially, Island Health opted not to comment on the cuts and deferred inquiries to the Ministry of Health. Subsequently, the Ministry of Health emphasized its commitment to supporting youth mental health and later instructed Island Health to reinstate the positions. Island Health has pledged to swiftly restore all affected ICY positions.
The ICY program facilitates access to counselors, mental health clinicians, substance-use support, and family and peer assistance for children up to 21 years old. Currently, there are 39 ICY teams operating or in the process of implementation across 20 school districts in British Columbia.
Bennett highlighted the crucial role of the lead positions in coordinating resources and services across various departments and expressed relief at the news of their reinstatement. The Pacific Rim School District had to redistribute workload among existing staff to compensate for the absence of these positions.
The decision to restore the positions was met with approval by Bennett, who emphasized the importance of equitable service provision across different communities in the region.
