Children's mental health response improving but still 'not acceptable' in Edmonton

Alberta Health Services is admitting its ability to provide mental health treatment to children in Edmonton is still "not acceptable" in spite of improvements to response times.

The latest internal numbers AHS released to CBC News show that more than half of children referred for specialized help are now getting treatment within a 30-day target period.

That's a significant jump from the first quarter of 2016 when less than a quarter of children received treatment within 30 days but it's still not quite meeting the health servicetarget.

• Wait times up for Edmonton kids needing mental health services

"We want to see all kids within 30 days and anything less than that is not acceptable," said Mark Snaterse, executive director for addiction and mental health for AHS in the Edmonton zone.

Snaterse said internal datareveal 57 per centof kids received treatment within the target period in October and November last year, which is up from 24 per centreported in the first quarter of 2016.

The opening of a new clinic in Rutherford is already making a difference by making new services available to families in south Edmonton, he noted.

"I think it's encouraging that we're seeing progress," Snatersesaid.

Still, he acknowledges the system has been under strain since the beginning of 2015 when there was a sharp increase in the numberof new kids being referred for mental health services.

Instead of getting around 300 children being referred for treatment each month, Snaterse said AHS was suddenly dealing with 600 or 700 new kids every month.

Downturn putting more stress on families

After hiring new staff and opening the new clinic, AHS is now able to offer treatment to 86 per cent of the children looking for help.They said it is looking into why some are failing to show up for appointments, or are cancelling appointments.

Snatersesaid Alberta's struggling economy could be one of the reasons more children are looking for help.

"There is more unemployment and I think that puts a lot of stress on the family unit," he said. "When there is that increased tension and stress within the family unit, it can certainly be a trigger."

Children who need urgent help in crisis situations can still go to emergency departments, he said. There's also a mobile crisis team that's available for youth and families.

Snaterse said AHS is doing everything it can to reach as many kids as possible within 30 days.

Mental health therapists have been added to some high schools as part of the health authority's response.

"It's certainly of great concern and our hearts go out to all parents out there who have a child who is in need of specialized mental health services," said Snaterse.

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