There has been much talk lately about where the needs of our children and youth dealing with mental illness are best served - The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, or the Ministry of Child and Youth Services. Some of this discussion comes from the number 1 recommendation of the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addiction's Report: Navigating the Journey to Wellness: The Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan for Ontarians. The first recommendation is that a new umbrella organization "Mental Health and Addictions Ontario should be created to ensure that a single body is responsible for designing, managing, and coordinating the mental health and addictions system, and that programs and services are delivered consistently and comprehensively across Ontario AND ALL mental health and addictions programs and services - for all regions of the Province and for ALL ages, including children and youth - should be consolidated in the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. Also MPP David Caplan has recently presented a Private Members Bill addressing this same issue.

So....is Child and Youth Mental Health Care becoming a Ministry Hot Potato? Once upon a time, child and youth mental health services were indeed coordinated through the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, and at that time was felt it would be more appropriately addressed in the Ministry of Child and Youth Services. Now we face the same discussion a few decades later - familiar course? It seems to me (and please this blog is written with the intention of being provocative and to create conversation) it seems to me that when the Ministry coordination was switched years ago - we were trying to address the ongoing concern and building crisis. Here we are many years later, still with ongoing concern and an even bigger crisis, and now we re-visit the conversation of what Ministry would serve our children, youth and their families better. So....the question may not be as simple as which Ministry is better or which Ministry will be best equipped to deal with our issues, the issue may just be why have these issues not been addressed in either Ministry?

So, I think it is time that WE, those most directly affected by the "issues" weigh in and have an opportunity to have our expert thoughts and opinions considered. Is this a "political" maneuver? Will it benefit our children and youth? Will it make a real difference? Is it just more rhetoric to make us all believe someone somewhere is addressing this crisis because we keep talking about it and there seems to be apparent "action" - or is this "action" static?

Here is my other thought - is the Ministry of Child and Youth Services truly being given what THEY require to truly address the crisis and growing concerns, or are they themselves being "bullied" and under resourced by the larger more powerful Ministries? And if so, what is OUR role in ensuring that OUR Ministry, the Ministry designed for OUR Children and Youth, do indeed get the support required so that they can proactively support our children?

The recent legislative debate, limited public discussion, and media about this issue has indeed kept the issue of children and youth mental health in the legislature, BUT, does the conversation and the debate about which Ministry we "live" in address our issues? Does it create opportunity for true action to be implemented that will have a positive impact on outcomes for our children or youth - OR - does it keep us from addressing the crisis and from spending time and money where it is most needed? I don't have the answer - I hope this blog and the discussion that happens from it will help to provide us the information that we as public, parents, and those directly affected need to make an informed decision, so we do know which side of the fence we want our feet, and our children and youth's future to land. I of course have an opinion - but this blog is designed in the hope that we will hear many opinions; we will begin a dialogue that will not only inform us, but will have an impact on and inform the ultimate discussion and decision process. So.....Child and Youth Mental Health a Ministry Hot Potato?