Saskatchewan’s children’s advocate says he wants more psychiatrists and mental-health counsellors in schools.
In his first report since becoming the advocate last fall, Corey O’Soup said it’s time to shift resources that exist in the health-care system to schools.
“This isn’t about creating new resources. This is about utilizing the ones that we have and making them more accessible to our children,” O’Soup said at a news conference Tuesday.
“If you bring those resources into the school system, you have a captive audience. You have the children already there. This is about the system changing to meet the needs of children and youth in our province.”
WATCH BELOW: Corey O’Soup calls on the provincial government to provide more mental health service to northern schools
O’Soup said some school divisions might currently have one psychologist serving all of the division. The change could increase that number to four or five, he suggested.
READ MORE: Corey O’Soup to take over as Saskatchewan child advocate in November
Greg Ottenbreit, Saskatchewan’s minister responsible for rural and remote health, said shifting psychiatrists and mental-health counsellors to schools makes sense.
“Obviously there’s a gap in the system and these supports need to be in place, so as quickly as we can move, I’d be open to doing it,” Ottenbreit said.
“You’re talking about people that are likely in the community already, that have an office there, so whether they’re in a government office or in a school, it doesn’t matter to me.
“What matters to me is that we can fill these gaps…and serve these children in a better way that would address some of the issues that they’re facing.”
O’Soup said the suicides last fall of six girls in northern Saskatchewan shows the lack of mental-health services in some communities.
READ MORE: Rash of Saskatchewan youth suicides triggers cross-Canada response
Since then, there have been many more suicides and attempts by youth, he said.
The report also references a shooting at the La Loche high school in January 2016. A teenage gunman killed a teacher and teacher’s aide and wounded seven others. Two boys were killed in a home.
“Insufficient services are evident in our northern communities where our youth have been at the centre of some of the biggest tragedies in our province’s history,” the report reads.
But O’Soup also said increasing the number of psychiatrists and counsellors isn’t going to fix all the problems children and families face.
“What are the systemic issues? What are the root problems that our province faces?” he asked.
“Counsellors are great. We need them. We’ll always need them. Psychiatrists, we’ll always need them. But until we find out what is really driving the kids to do what they do, then everything is a Band-Aid.”
The advocate said he plans to release another report later this year about the suicides and make recommendations on proactive ways to help vulnerable kids.
O’Soup also said Tuesday that the government has delayed making critical changes to legislation that could help young people. Those changes include raising the age of a child to 18 so better protections could be provided to 16- and 17-year-olds, as well as more supports for young people as they grow out of government care.
“I think increasing the age of a child legislatively to 18 would be one of the biggest things that we could do,” he said.
“I have a 17-year-old daughter, when she turns 18, I’m just not going to push her out the door and say, ‘I’m done with you.’ I’m going to continue to support her.”
Social Services Minister Tina Beaudry-Mellor said the changes are being considered.
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