Jewish General Hospital's child psychiatry programming 'at risk of closure'

A well-known program that helps anglophone children in the Montreal area with psychiatric issues is in danger of shutting down.

In a letter obtained by CBC Montreal Investigates, the Jewish General Hospital's chief psychiatrist says the hospital's Centre for Child Development and Mental Health is facing a $600,000 funding crisisone he describes as dire.

Dr. Karl Looper said he never intended for the letter to go public, but told CBC he was recently informed by hospital administrators about a potential funding problem.

"What was communicated to me, was a shortfall that we would have to work around in the upcoming year," Looper said.

The Centre for Child Development and Mental Health is dedicated to helping children with a wide-range of emotional, behavioural and mental problems.

It offers a full-day program, an after school program as well as outpatient services for children up to 15 years of age.The goal is to reintegrate children into their regular schools and daycares.

It has a family-centred approach and is the referral centre for the island of Montreal and off-island anglophone communities.

"Anything that could effect the smooth functioning of this program is of great concern to me," Looper said.

Child psychiatry programmingin jeopardy

The Jewish General Hospital's child psychiatry programhas a 50 year history.

But it was only five years ago that it got a brandnew building of its own the Ruth and Saul Kaplan Pavilion, built largely with private donations.

In theabsence of a plan to cover this shortfall, the program is at risk of closure.- Letter byDr. Karl Looper directed to Jewish General Hospitalfoundation

It was custom-made to help children with a wide range of mental health problems feel welcome.

A large part of the work that staff do concerns high-risk children who have trouble functioning in a regular school environment.

But that may all be in jeopardy.

Looper's letter is directed to the hospital's foundation and reads like a cry for help.

In it, he writes that due to "budget constraints" there is an anticipated deficit of $600,000 for the fiscal year beginning in April 2016.

He goes on to say that in "the absence of a plan to cover this shortfall, the program is at risk of closure."This would have a "devastating effect," he writes.

Looper told CBC he reached out to the foundation to try and make sure the centre has all the funding it needs.

"I think to run such an excellent program it does require more funding than maybe might have been allocated," Looper told CBC.

"At the same time, we are going through a time period, which is, as you know, of fiscal restraint and balanced budgets. So every program is being looked at closely."

Back in 2014, a special monitor was appointed to help the Jewish General Hospital get their finances under control after accumulating a multi-million dollar deficit. It resulted in a series of cost-cutting measures which continue to this day.

Looper would not reveal the centre's total budget, but says a $600,000 cut would be a significant part of it.

Staff include psychiatrists, social workers, teachers and speech therapists.

Reassures families will be cared for

Looper reassured families who have children intheir programs right now that they will continue to be taken care of.

The question is what will happen in future.

He says he's in contact with the hospital's foundation and has a lot of support from the public as well as families who use the programs.

Looperstressed that no final decision has been made regarding the centre's future programming or budget.

CBC Montreal Investigates

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