Friends sometimes you have to make a choice and I’ve made one in my riding for the provincial election on Oct.6th I am endorsing Deb Matthews for London North Centre here in London. The reasons are critical. It’s because Deb has supported child and youth mental health, the Ontario Liberal Party”reaffirmed mental health and addictions as a priority by announcing an annual investment for children’s mental health that will grow to $93 million in 2013/14. We are investing $257 million over the next three years for children’s mental health, in addition to our annual investments of $400 million in this area. We are providing 50 per cent more in financial support for children’s mental health services than in 2003. ”

Deb has also signed the Parents for Childrens Mental Health pledge for child and youth mental health. This pledge states:

If  I am elected I will support comprehensive reform of children and youth mental health services based on the following principles:

• Establishing a single, high standard of child and youth mental health services, comparable to the physical  services provided by the health care system and universally accessible to all families in Ontario
• Integration of child and youth mental health services across Ministries and service agencies
• Commitment to family centred mental health services, including increased parent and youth involvement in treatment design and delivery, increased transparency of services and treatment decisions, and greater accountability of service providers to the young people and families they serve

Practical Steps

If elected, I will support legislation and policy initiatives committed to the following objectives:

• Encouraging and promoting initiatives to integrate service delivery at the community level
• Expansion of existing initiatives including  community-based services, youth engagement programming, family and peer support (such as the “Made in Ontario” Model of Family Support),  and development of navigation services
• Appointment of  parents, guardians and those with ‘lived experience’ of children and youth mental illness to regional and provincial decision-making bodies
• Continued funding increases to improve standards and increase access to child and youth mental health services