by Raymond Pidzamecky M.S.W.
The department of Health & Social Services and Education Culture and Employment (ECE) have known for years that children under 19 are suffering from mental health issues in the Northwest Territories.
In fact my colleagues and I know that children in the NWT meet and probably exceed the national average for children with mental health issues. Some of the neediest children in Canada (NWT) are receiving the least amount of professional support.
The Offord study in the late 1980's in Ontario showed one-in-five children under 19 suffered from at least one mental health issue. What did Ontario and other provinces do? The school boards began hiring trained professionals, master of social work, master of counselling psychology, master of family therapy, psychologists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists to name a few, to work in the schools. All highly trained and skilled to address the mental health issues of children.
Child care workers and school guidance counsellors provide a vital service to students, but do not have nearly the same clinical training or expertise that the aforementioned group of professionals has. This announcement falls short of being a meaningful and sincere intervention. For example, there are currently an estimated 750 school social workers in Canada (Loughborough, 2000).
In addition, the government has failed to demonstrate an understanding of, “be strong like two people”. The late Chief Jimmy Bruneau of Behchoko’s words of wisdom speak to the need of using culture as treatment. That positive outcomes for the healing of Iindigenous youth will be restricted without the utilization of their culture as treatment for mental health issues.
The children of the NWT need so much more in the areas of school based professional services and appropriate cultural action. Enough is enough. Shame on you ECE and Health and Social Services. Stop paying lip service and step up to the plate. I am confident that if the NWT had a child advocate or child ombudsman they would initiate a charter challenge. Please write and or call your MLA and demand that children receive more school based professional services such as I have listed, to address mental health issues. Lets get on the same page as the rest of Canada. The children of the NWT deserve no less.
Raymond Pidzamecky M.S.W., is a registered social worker in both Ontario and the NWT who works with Residential School Survivors and Youth at Risk.