Moncton family calls for crisis centre after waiting hours in hospital

After being turned away from the Moncton Hospital when her daughter was seeking treatment, a Moncton woman is calling for increased mental health services in the province.

READ MORE: New Brunswick Community comes together to raise mental health awareness

When Jaime Macintyre woke up last Thursday she immediately knew something was off about the way she was thinking.

“I was lying in bed that morning thinking about how I have to get up for work and the first thought that popped into my head randomly was ‘you should go take a bottle of pills because then you don’t have to wake up in the morning,'” she explained. “I was like that’s not a good thought to have, so immediately I went out to the living room and was like, ‘mom I’m having suicidal thoughts, I’m depressed, I need help right now.'”

“It doesn’t appear that mental health is a priority in Moncton,” Macintyre’s mother Margaret said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It doesn't appear that mental health is a priority in Moncton," Macintyre's mother Margaret said.

Their search for help brought them to call the Moncton Mobile Mental Health Unit but felt just as helpless after speaking with them.

“They don’t actually come to your home, they don’t provide therapy or services or talk you down or do any of that,” Margaret explained. “They just determine whether or not you need to go to the hospital.”

Which Macintyre did.

But after waiting nearly six hours to see a psychiatrist, much of the time spent in public areas rather than a dedicated quiet space, the result was not what they were looking for.

“When he did see her he agreed that she should be admitted but the beds were full,” said Margaret.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "When he did see her he agreed that she should be admitted but the beds were full," said Margaret.

READ MORE: New Brunswick government expands program for children with mental health needs

A recent report from the New Brunswick Health Council supports these calls for increased services. According to council CEO Stephane Robichaud, New Brunswick has the highest number of instances of suicide and self-harm per capita in the country, resulting in failing grade for the province

Health Minister Victor Boudreau said the province’s aging population creates a large demand for services meaning many hospital beds are being occupied by seniors who require long term specialized care.

Still he assures mental health isn’t something the health department is overlooking.

“We’re currently working on a platform commitment to put in place community treatment orders, we’re making investments in our Network of Excellence and Centre of Excellence which is being built in Campbellton,” Boudreau explained. “There are a lot of investments being made in the mental health field.”

Boudreau admits these are challenges that require a lot of time to overcome even though they exist right now.

“Moncton really needs a crisis centre … where people could go, be admitted if need be, go just for counselling sessions on a daily basis if need be, something like that would be beneficial the hospital is not equipped for it,” Margaret explained. “Convincing someone in that situation to actually reach out and get help is huge, it’s monumental. When they finally relent and ask for the help and are told there is no help they have nowhere else to go.”