Gap in addictions, mental health services placing kids in care at risk: Manitoba children's advocate

Manitoba's children's advocate saysa lack of resources in the Child and Family Servicessystem means kids are at "imminent risk of death and dying" from addictions, mental health issues and suicide.

"The time for discussing strategies and future tasks and actions is past and these kids need action today," Daphne Penrose toldMLAs on the provincial standing committee on legislative affairs Wednesday.

"There's been an increase in the drug use and there hasn't been an increase in the resources."

It was the first timePenrose has appeared before the committee since her office received expanded powers last March through the Advocate for Children and Youth Act.

The committee discussed her office'spreviously released annual reportsfor 2016-17 and 2017-18, which detailedissues facing kids and youth in CFS care, includingyouth safety, suicide rates, meth addiction andsexual exploitation.

The 2017-18 report noted 44 per cent of concerns related to case-planning concerns, while 22 per cent ofcomplaints related to a quality of care in CFS.

"You've got lack of appropriate care resources, lack of education, lack of clothing, lack of health care, lack of food," Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont said, pointing to the complaints cited in thereport.

"That's about children in care. That's not the reason you're taking a child out of the house."

3-phase roll out

The first of three phases of the expanded mandate for the children's advocate's office allows Penrose to publicly release reports on the deaths of children who had involvement withCFS within 12 months of dying.

She said her office stands to get much busier this spring as the second phase of the legislation rolls out. That will allow her toinvestigatedeaths of kids who didn't have any contact with CFS in the year before they died.

Phase 3, which Families MinisterHeather Stefanson said may come into effect this fall, will give the children's advocate the ability to investigate any serious injuries of youth.

Penrose said her office will need more resources once thatchange takes effect. The new powerswill lead to greater transparency, shesaid,adding she plans to hold government accountable.

"I hope she does, because that's her role and we respect her role," said Stefanson.

"We know that the status quo is not an option in many of these areas and we recognize that she needs the tools to be able to advocate for children and youth."

Mental health and addiction

Last fall, Health Minister Cameron Friesen said the province was lookingto fund a treatment centre for people with severe addictions. But NDP MLA Andrew Swancriticized the government for not doing enough to specifically help youth in care who are in the gripof substance usecrises.

Penrose stressed that's whya continuum of care isneeded that prioritizes harm reduction and a multi-department response.

"Every day [that] there isn't an action for a child out there is another day a child is at risk and/or very vulnerable," Penrose said. "Sometimes children end up taking their own lives, or getting hurt or dying of accidental overdose."

Penrose said apart from short-term detox services,there aren't any recovery programstakingin kids with the most severe substance use disorders, including addiction to methamphetamine.

She said her office has heard complaints about policies in place with organizations such as the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba that effectively mean those hit hardest by drugs such as meth aren't eligble for services, or policies that won't accomodate their unique needs.

"Those barriers are things that really you can start to see where kids leave, because it's not really meeting their needs it's not about them," said Penrose.

Secure environments needed

Penrose also said the problem ofsexualexploitation of youth is also increasingly hard to fight,as much of the activity is now "invisible" because it's online. With exploitation comes drugs, violence and mental health challenges, she said.

One thing that could help victims is better access to safe and secure environments, said Penrose.

Without adequate preventative and early intervention resources overall, Penrose said youth can end up stuck in care longer than they need to be, or land in the already over-taxed justice system.

In addition to the coming legislative changes that will giver her office more investigative powers, Penrose said she is looking forward to the opening of a new children's advocate office in Thompson, which will be devoted to helping vulnerable youth in northern Manitoba.

Manitoba's Advocate for Children has blunt words for politicians

6 years ago

Duration 2:18

It's the first time Daphne Penrose has appeared at a legislative committee hearing since the office got expanded powers to investigate youth services and child deaths.