Michael Prue, MPP | News--Prue call for fix of Broken Youth Addictions Stystem

15 April 2008
Prue Calls for Fix of Broken Youth Addictions System
NDP pushes five-point plan to address lack of beds, forced trips to US for care

QUEEN’S PARK—NDP MPP Michael Prue is calling on the McGuinty government to overhaul a “shockingly” broken youth addictions system by replacing it with a 5-point plan developed by an advocacy group.

“With only 38 beds in Ontario for youth addiction patients, families are left to their own devices in a situation where community support is vital. A lack of beds leads many parents to fund these costs out of pocket, creating a two-tier system,” said Prue.

With no comprehensive youth addictions strategy, wait times for youth beds across Ontario have soared to 73 days for males and 96 days for females.

“Shockingly, there are no youth residential beds in Toronto, even though the Toronto Drug Strategy recommended changing that three years ago. This is unacceptable,” added Prue.

“Young people in crises cannot wait months for care. Families are being forced to pay thousands of dollars out-of-pocket because they will not, and should not, take chances with their teens, who are often at dire medical risk,” said Claire McConnell, mother of a daughter struggling with addictions and mental health issues.

McConnell has found that her experience with the system is not unique, and has joined with other concerned parents to form Tragically-OHIP, an advocacy group.

Strangely, OHIP will sometimes cover out-of-country treatment, but not treatment in other Canadian provinces, making a second best option no option at all because of traveling costs and border issues.

Prue is calling on the McGuinty government to implement Tragically-OHIP’s five-point plan:

Invest in the availability of youth addiction services, particularly the number of beds;
Streamline the bureaucracy by creating a seamless system that ensures that case workers are available to follow youth through the treatment process, including a “one-window” approach to advise families of the support available;
Allow OHIP to cover out-of-province expenses, not just out-of-country;
Develop a provincial youth addictions strategy;
Consult sincerely with families and young people in developing new policy.