麻豆AV

Meeting the needs of a child with drug and mental health issues is nearly impossible in the Okanagan, says a local mother.

鈥淢y son had a relapse this weekend after being clean from drugs for two-and-a-half months,鈥� said Jamie Jones, a mother who first spoke to the Capital News last year about her struggles with her son鈥檚 addiction and mental health issues. She鈥檚 asked for anonymity to protect her 16-year-old son from being stigmatized as he grows older, so her name has been withheld for this story.

鈥淗e鈥檚 been wait-listed and wait-listed to get services and nothing is happening,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淗e has social anxiety so high that he can鈥檛 go to school, anymore. Now this. It鈥檚 crucial that he get assessed and put on something.鈥�

When her son was in the emergency room after ingesting cocaine they learned was laced with fentanyl this weekend, she may have found some help.

鈥淭he doctor said, 鈥榶ou should have been seen by a psychiatric pediatrician a long time ago,鈥� she said, adding that the doctor may have helped make that happen sooner than later by pushing for a referral.

She鈥檚 hopeful, but she鈥檚 heard a lot of empty promises as a parent trying to navigate the system.

As is, she鈥檚 sick of the continual stream of news that kids are overdosing and dying in this community.

鈥淐hristy Clark said 鈥榩oor mental health is difficult and finding help shouldn鈥檛 be,鈥欌�� said Jones. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 agree more.鈥�

She just doesn鈥檛 see what the government has done to improve conditions.

During a campaign stop in 麻豆AV Clark lauded the opening of the Foundry, a one stop shop for youth mental health and drug issues.

鈥淲e鈥檙e really proud to support it,鈥� Clark said, adding it鈥檚 a model that needs to be implemented across the province.

She explained that when a young person has serious mental health issues, they usually find their way to a hospital and a hospital doesn鈥檛 have the resources to divert them to where they need to be.

The Foundry will stop that, she said.

Jones is dubious and said the situation should never have deteriorated to where it is today. From the school system to health care, she鈥檚 watched her child be bounced around without ever finding the help he needs and she鈥檚 been advocating for him at every stop.

If her son didn鈥檛 want that help, and wanted to hide his issues, she said, he would have fallen through the cracks long ago.

Mike Gawliuk, director of service delivery and program innovation at CMHA 麻豆AV, is the driving force behind the Foundry.

鈥淲e鈥檙e looking at doing a soft launch to the middle of June with a formal opening in the early in the fall,鈥� he said.

With the opening of the Foundry yet to happen, Gawliuk has seen some change for the better.

鈥淭here鈥檚 been some profile around it,鈥� he said, adding the recent fentanyl crisis, as well as a recent series of high profile youth deaths has shone a spotlight on the situation.

鈥淚 think within society now, and whether it鈥檚 because of crises taking place or other factors, mental health is something people are becoming more comfortable discussing,鈥� he said.

鈥淐ompared to five or 10 years ago, people are discussing it and it鈥檚 not hidden in the shadows. It鈥檚 something we have to act on.鈥�

Gawliuk said that his organization is looking forward to establishing Foundry, and they hope it will bridge the gaps that have arisen in dealing with youth.

鈥淥ne of the things the Foundry is doing is bringing together all of the organizations and that鈥檚 one core aspect about what鈥檚 done,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lso there鈥檚 a stepped-care model of service.鈥�

Gawliuk explained the stepped-care model by comparing it to his son鈥檚 recent gym injury.

鈥淢y son hurt his knee on the playground, so he鈥檚 going to be assessed,鈥� said Gawliuk.

鈥淚f he doesn鈥檛 need surgery, he won鈥檛 get it. He might need rehabilitation, instead.鈥�

It鈥檚 a simple enough thing to wrap your head around, but it鈥檚 not yet how mental health services work.

鈥淲hat we want to do is start with the right service at the right time,鈥� he said. 鈥�(Patients) will got to one service, and if that doesn鈥檛 resolve their issue, then they will go to the next level of care.鈥�

For Jones it鈥檚 too late. At the request of her son, she鈥檚 leaving the life she built in the Okanagan, putting the house up for sale and moving east.

鈥淲hat can I do? He said he needs this, and I have to do this,鈥� she said.