Program answers calls for change agents in mental health crisis

Cindy Weisbart and Larry Axelrod

We live in a wealthy province, yet many of our city’s residents are underserved — particularly in terms of access to mental health services. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson recently announced that Vancouver’s mental health crisis is becoming worse.

We live in a diverse city, but there is considerable social inequity. Our Downtown Eastside, where many people struggle with poverty, homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges, is glaring proof of this. Yet, the DTES also is a vibrant community, where residents seek quality of life.

To address these societal challenges, what we need are change agents: people who can assess, treat, research and advise on best practices to improve well-being for all.

To develop these change agents, the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Vancouver is launching Western Canada’s first Doctor of Clinical Psychology (Psy. D.) degree program this fall. Students begin classes this month, and we are honoured to contribute to their learning and help them prepare for this needed work. There is much to be done.

According to a study commissioned for the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC), one in five people in Canada has experienced a mental health problem or illness, which costs the economy more than $50 billion.

This means that we need to identify and treat the root causes of problems with prevalent comprehensive mental health services, available to all communities — including the most socially excluded populations.

The good news is we have already created tools to guide needed changes. Our nation has its first national strategy for improving health equity and mental health outcomes, created by the MHCC.

We commend the strategy for:

•Recognizing the widespread nature of mental health needs across Canada — and at every age level — and ways to increase the availability and coordination of mental health services in the community;

•Addressing the need to “improve a system that is not working well� by establishing a blueprint for change; and

•Recommending increased access to the full range of options for mental health services, just as patients would expect if they were confronting heart disease or cancer.

Unfortunately, access to mental health treatment in Canada is still inadequate. Many people are just being prescribed medication therapy, often by general practitioners. They do not have access to psychotherapy, which is an essential “first line� treatment for most common mental health disorders, such as anxiety and depression.

To enact MHCC’s strategy — and put into place specific, on-the-ground solutions to improve the nation’s collective mental health — Canada will need systemic changes, such as direct access to psychology practitioners, as well as more well-trained clinicians who also are critical thinkers prepared to make a difference in the social services landscape.

The Adler School’s Psy. D. program is a significant step in this direction.

The program will emphasize Alfred Adler’s social justice focus and provide training that is uniquely suited to address the challenges faced by many communities in BC today and throughout Canada.

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