Evidence of meeting #36 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was children.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
What's an average wait time? Can you give us that? Is there such a thing? Is it six months? Is it six weeks?
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
The average wait time for a child psychiatric consultation is probably under three months, again with prioritization. That's for consultation. Coming for assessment and treatment is longer than that. I would probably say it's six months or more, again trying to prioritize to make sure that the ones most in need get in the most quickly.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
Okay, so we have work to do there for sure.
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
For sure.
Liberal
Filomena Tassi Liberal Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON
I was interested in what you were saying with respect to the caregivers. I'm actually delivering an S.O. 31 today with respect to suicide prevention and acknowledging the work of the caregivers.
You mentioned that they also are in need of support. Do you have any recommendations for us as a committee that would assist us in encouraging or supporting the caregivers to help them better deal with their children and help them in their journey?
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
I think there's a whole range of possibilities.
On one end, in many communities, at least in Hamilton, there are often community-based programs where parents can go to get some help with managing challenging children or children who push the limits. I think making sure that families know about these often free programs to help increase their level of knowledge and skills is on one end of it.
I think the other end of it is that if someone comes in to a family doctor with concerns about their child, also look at how the adult is doing. The child sector is very separate from the adult sector, and it's too bad. It would be great if in an adult mental health clinic you could also do more asking about what the children's needs are, and vice versa in the child sector. We definitely look at the children in the context of their family, but we're not mental health providers for adults.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Bryan May
Excellent. Thank you very much.
For six minutes, we will go over to MP MacGregor, please.
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I'd like to thank all the witnesses for appearing today.
Ms. O'Hearn, I was particularly struck by your testimony. Given the relatively small population of Canada's north and how far away it is from the nation's capital, it's really important to hear that.
You stated that poverty can't be addressed in a vacuum, that there are so many spinoff effects from it, it perpetuates a vicious cycle. You concentrate on a lack of housing, the violence against women and children, and the lack of child care spaces available in the north.
We know that violence against women has devastating impacts on physical and mental health, and it further marginalizes women into situations of poverty. As you referenced, in 2011 Nunavut recorded the highest territorial rate of police-reported intimate-partner violence.
Given the federal government's announcements with respect to violence against women recently, do you think the federal government is doing enough to end violence against women, and if not, what more do you think could be done?
Executive Director, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
There's a great deal more that needs to be done that can be done immediately. From our perspective, we're not having the success we had expected in working with the federal government at this point after the election. I understand from some senior public servants that the departments are having trouble adjusting in any sort of nimble way to this new vision of government. I'm not seeing any meaningful immediate interventions or initiatives being undertaken by the federal government to address violence in Inuit communities.
I know that Minister Hajdu is developing a gender-based framework against violence. We have had really relatively little input and engagement on that. I think the government needs to start demonstrating, immediately, initiatives intended to intervene, or at least provide more public safety in Inuit communities.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
Thank you.
Moving on to the housing issue, we know that housing insecurity affects mental health, and given the special relationship the federal government has committed itself to—a renewed relationship with first nations, Inuit, and Métis—and the special role the federal government plays with territorial governments, what role do you think the federal government should be playing on the front of housing insecurity?
Executive Director, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
The technicalities of housing delivery are beyond the scope or mandate of our organization. I know the four regional land claims organizations are actively trying to engage in discussions with the federal government. There just needs to be more.
There are challenges across the Arctic around construction seasons. Materials have to be sent in by barge prior to the beginning of the construction period for that year. A lot of the issues are known. A lot of the solutions are known. I think there's more political will from this government, but it's beyond the scope of our mandate or my expertise to offer you a more detailed response.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
The investments in housing overall, in terms of solving the whole range of problems that are associated with poverty.... Would you agree that, if we can really get to securing decent, affordable shelters over people's heads, that would do a lot to then cascade benefits into other areas?
Executive Director, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
Without doubt, absolutely.
NDP
Alistair MacGregor NDP Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC
The other question is on child care.
The child benefit was certainly a welcome increase, and I can relate. I'm a father of young children, and I can relate to my previous life when my wife and I both had to work to get them through child care. I have certainly met with lots of families that.... Even in the southern regions of Canada, the lack of access to child care spaces is a really big issue.
You specifically mentioned in your statement that the lack of available child care spaces—forget the child benefit—is a significant barrier to education, training, and upward mobility, for women in particular.
Can you just expand a little on that?
Executive Director, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
Absolutely.
There is a lack of physical infrastructure, a lack of physical places to house a child care centre. There is a need for capacity building around child care workers. Infrastructure, I think, is one of the biggest challenges. When you consider that in relation to housing.... It's not uncommon to have 13 or 14 people living in the same house, which is probably in need of major repairs. It further limits the options of not only women but all Inuit, and it absolutely hinders opportunities for healthy interventions early in life.
Liberal
Liberal
Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to our presenters this morning.
I come from the riding of Saint John—Rothesay, in New Brunswick, and Saint John—Rothesay, unfortunately, leads the country in child poverty. It's in the top three in teenage pregnancy, and mental health is in a crisis situation. Certainly, providers and support don't know where to turn; there is so much coming at them.
Dr. Lipman, thanks for your presentation. My first questions are for you.
Based on your research, how does the mental health of children born to teen mothers compare with the mental health of children born to adult parents? Can you just elaborate on that?
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
What we know is that children who are born to teen parents have more mental health difficulties than children who are born to older, non-teen parents. It's important to try to tease out the reasons for that. Being a teen parent, by itself, may not be the reason or the cause of it. Often, those who become moms when they are teens may be disassociated from their family, live in poverty, or not have very much education. Again, it's these psychosocial risk factors that also contribute to the difficulties.
It's complicated. It's not always just the fact that the woman is a teen that is the reason. It's a lot of the context around it that is important to consider as well.
Does that make sense?
Liberal
Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB
It does make sense, and I thank you for that.
Obviously, we are doing this study, and we want to hear from our witnesses and presenters as to innovative ways and ideas that we can bring back to our government to try to make a difference.
With that in mind, what policy changes would you recommend that would more effectively address the mental health of this disadvantaged subgroup? What would you suggest that we do?
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
I think that having community supports for women who become moms when they are teens is important, and that can be a variety of things. I know that there are certain places in Hamilton where women can live throughout their pregnancy or early after birth that have some educational opportunities associated with them, so they can continue to do some study if they want to.
I know there are some high schools that have child care on site, which allows teen moms to still go to school, so that's important as well. It's about a variety of things, but I think one of the things that are important is not needing to stop your education. Having a high school diploma is a really important marker of how you do in the future, so helping make that happen through access to education and through what's needed for these moms in terms of child care, and having something that's stimulating for the children as well....
Liberal
Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB
We have a wonderful organization in Saint John called First Steps Housing that brings in teen mothers and offers them a lot of support.
I think the last question for you is, can you give me your ideas or recommendations on how we better align federal and provincial governments with respect to delivering support for mental health care?
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
That's a great question and a really complicated question.
Medical Doctor, Child and Youth Mental Health Program, McMaster Children's Hospital
I know the Ontario scene better than anything else. Even in Ontario, it is complicated because we have these two different ministries that are involved. I guess my first thing might be to say, get all the ducks in a row provincially to begin with, to make it as uncomplicated as you can.
I think federal initiatives that provinces can take up would be important to think about as well. I know recently I was at a Mental Health Commission of Canada conference where the focus was really on these transitional-aged youth or emerging adults. For these 15- to 24-year-olds who are moving out of the child and adolescent time and into the adult time, that sort of initiative is something that could be taken up provincially.
Sorry, I guess I'm talking too much here.