Approach to mental health needs reform in Saskatchewan: advocates
Global News
Minister of Mental Health Everett Hindley said less funding has been provided this year because the program no longer has startup costs.
Saskatchewan has decreased funding for suicide prevention one year after it passed a law to address the challenge and despite a minister saying mental health is a government priority.
The Saskatchewan Party government has allocated $1 million this year toward its Pillars For Life plan.
Data provided by the Ministry of Health shows that’s a decrease of $200,000 compared with the previous two years.
Minister of Mental Health Everett Hindley said less funding has been provided this year because the program no longer has startup costs.
The Strategy for Suicide Prevention Act, which was passed in April 2021, requires the Ministry of Health to spend six months consulting with organizations, other provinces and the federal government to help develop a suicide prevention plan.
The architect of the legislation said the government is failing to enforce it and failing to consult.
“Nothing has come forward for the families I talked to,” said Doyle Vermette, the Opposition NDP’s mental-health critic who holds a seat in northern Saskatchewan.
Hindley said the government has consulted with the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 First Nations in the province.