I am committed to prioritizing Mental Health
The pandemic has deepened Canada’s mental health crisis, especially for our youth. It’s estimated that one in five Canadians have suffered from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
During the last Parliament, I introduced a petition calling for support for youth mental health. That petition was suspended once the Writ was dropped. If I am given the honour to again represent Essex in Ottawa, promoting mental health initiatives will be a priority for me.
It will also be a priority of a Conservative Government as part of our Secure Canada Platform. Erin O’Toole today announced the Canadian Mental Health Action Plan.
The Conservative Mental Health Action Plan will:
o Massively boost health transfers to the provinces by at least six per cent annually, doubling the Liberal commitment and representing nearly $60 billion more for health care over the next 10 years.
o Work with the provinces to invest in mental health as the priority it is with the goal of providing enough funding through health transfers for an additional million Canadians to receive mental health treatment every year.
o Encourage employers to add mental health coverage to their employee benefit plans or boost their coverage by offering a tax credit for 25 per cent of the cost of additional mental health coverage for the first three years.
o Provide $150 million over three years in grants to nonprofits and charities delivering mental health and wellness programming.
o Create a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline.
o Make the single largest investment in Canadian history for mental health supports for Indigenous people by providing $1 billion over five years to boost funding for Indigenous mental health and drug treatment programs, including providing culturally appropriate supports.
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