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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
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| Backgrounder(s) & FactSheet(s): | Factsheet |
VICTORIA
– B.C. is aiming to increase the
number of child and youth mental health workers across the province by nearly
15 per cent this year, Children and Family Development Minister Tom Christensen
announced today.
The
ministry has just launched a provincial, national and international recruitment
campaign to hire 75 child and youth mental health professionals, including
psychologists, nurses, psychiatric nurses, counsellors and clinical social
workers. It is expected that 35 of these new hires will be Aboriginal child and
youth mental health workers who can offer culturally relevant services to
Aboriginal children and families.
“We’ve
made vast improvements to services and how they are delivered since introducing
the nation’s first provincial mental health plan that focuses specifically on
children and youth,” said Christensen. “This hiring campaign will keep the
momentum going.”
Successful candidates will be hired over the summer to join the more
than 530 ministry-funded clinicians delivering child and youth mental health
services throughout the province. B.C. has already hired more than 200 additional child and youth mental
health specialists since introducing the Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for
British Columbia in 2003.
“Having
such a strong mental health plan has really worked in B.C.’s favour,” said
Christensen. “Recruiting from a specialized field is usually a huge challenge,
but the fact B.C. has a plan that is clearly improving services for children
and their families is a strong draw for professionals to the ministry and to
this province.”
Mental health is the number one health concern
affecting children and youth in terms of number of children affected and degree
of impairment caused. It is widely estimated that at least one in seven
children is impacted by mental disorders, the most common being anxiety
disorder and depression.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development
provides a broad range of mental health services for children, youth and their
families, including assessment, treatment, consultation and education through
Child and Youth Mental Health Offices throughout the province.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Officer 250 356-2939 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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