A society can be judged on the basis of how it treats its most vulnerable members. I cringe when this concept crosses my mind, as individuals of the utmost fragility fall through the cracks of our mental health system in BC so frequently.
The cracks in the system that I speak of are far more extensive when it comes to our most defenceless: our children.
On Vancouver Island, there are 13 beds for children and youth struggling with mental illness and, as you can imagine, there’s quite the waitlist. This service primarily features medication and acts more as damage control. This isn’t a lasting solution, but merely a Band-Aid for a gaping wound.
As one who’s no stranger to the system, I’ve seen first-hand that self-harm and suicidal behavior isn’t age specific. As horrible as it is to think, we have children and youth in danger, and our system has done nothing short of abandoning them and their caregivers.
Without appropriate resources, we are setting up our children to fail. How many more must we lose to suicide, the streets, and substance addiction? With this blatant lack of support, families are left fighting for their children; their cries for help often falling on deaf ears.
I strongly encourage you to sign the petition at change.org entitled “BC Needs to Provide Emergency Mental Health Services for Children.” Be outraged, for the lack of services is endangering the lives of our youngest.