B.C. watchdog says mental health system for teens is fractured, needs fixes

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s mental health system for teens is fractured, confusing and frustrating and B.C.’s children’s’ watchdog says the government needs to fix it.

A report by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says mental health services for children between the ages of 16 and 19 is a patchwork of services that are inconsistent from region to region.

Her report found serious shortcomings and poor communication in a mental health system that isn’t doing enough to help the children or their families.

Turpel-Lafond surveyed hundreds of families in her review and collected information on the experiences of 89 families who tried to use the system.

The report says promises of a 2003 report to improve the mental health system for children have gone unfulfilled.

Turpel-Lafond says there’s a lack of provincial leadership on the issue and the first step to fixing the problem would be to appoint a minister of state for youth mental health, who’d be responsible for building a three-year plan to create a coherent mental health programs for teens.