MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTIONS: New intervention program for children with anxiety, impacting their development, begins April 29th
Parents and caregivers in BC, whose
children have anxiety impacting their development, and day-to-day happiness at
home, school and in the community will soon have access to a new, free
intervention program.
The program includes access to educational
videos and weekly telephone coaching sessions and will be available starting
April 29, 2019.
Serving parents and caregivers of children
aged three to 12 years, the Anxiety
Program — a new offering under the existing Confident Parents: Thriving Kids
service — is designed to reduce the impact of anxiety on a child. It was
developed locally by the Canadian Mental Health Association-BC Division (CMHA BC),
in partnership with B.C. psychologists who specialize in child and youth mental
health.
“Today's announcement
is excellent news for families in B.C. that require mental health support for
their children,” said Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister of Health.
“Improving access to home and community
care and mental health and addiction services is one of the ways in which
collaboration between the governments of Canada and BC is helping to make lives
better for BC residents.”
New office space on View Street in downtown
Victoria will house the team that is delivering the online and telephone-based
program. In the first phase, a total of 14 of 20 coaches have been hired and
are completing orientation and training.
“For
parents, knowing how to manage their child's anxious behaviour can become a
challenge. With today’s investment, parents now have somewhere to turn for the
support they need,” said Judy Darcy, B.C.’s Minister of Mental Health and
Addictions.
“Expanding this successful
service is so important because we know that the sooner we address
mental-health and behaviour challenges, the better it is for the entire family.”
In addition, to meet the needs of Indigenous
families, CMHA BC is working with Indigenous peoples and organizations to
develop a culturally sensitive and appropriate model for this program, which is
expected to launch in fall 2019.
The new Anxiety Program builds on the success
of the existing Behaviour Program that parents and caregivers’ rate highly in
terms of effectiveness.
“Previously, CMHA
BC was relying on year-end funding for Confident Parents: Thriving Kids, and
that meant that families never had a guarantee that these services would be
available year over year,” said Katrine Conroy, B.C.’s Minister of Children
and Family Development.
“We
believe these programs are vital and that’s why, for the first time ever,
government is providing annual funding.”
The Behaviour Program, which parents and
caregivers have accessed since 2015, includes a series of six to 14 weekly
telephone-coaching sessions in a flexible format, using exercises and
workbooks.
Trained coaches empower parents and
caregivers to learn effective skills and techniques that are proven to prevent,
reduce and reverse the development of mild to moderate behaviour difficulties —
including aggression, attention deficit or uncooperative or disruptive
behaviour — that create challenges in home, school and public settings.
Parents can access both programs at times
that work for them, such as evenings and weekends. A referral from general
physicians, pediatricians or Ministry of Children and Family Development
community child and youth mental-health teams is required.
The total $5.75-million investment — $3
million for the Anxiety Program and $2.75 million for the Behaviour Program —
is part of a five-year, $656-million bilateral agreement announced in September
2018 between the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C.
The agreement features targeted incremental
investments to expand home and community care, and mental-health and addiction
services.
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