The All-Party Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Addictions is calling on residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to share their experiences and suggestions for improving mental health and addictions programs across the province.
The committee is particularly interested in hearing from individuals and families with direct experience, community partners, and professionals in child and youth services, education, health services, housing, and justice. The aim is to gather comprehensive feedback that will inform future enhancements to the services provided.
Participants are invited to complete a questionnaire on engageNL.ca by August 2. The survey covers various topics, such as familiarity with existing programs, the essential services needed by youth and young adults facing mental health and substance use challenges, and the obstacles encountered when seeking assistance. Additionally, written submissions and feedback can be provided at virtual public and stakeholder consultation sessions focused on specific issues.
All feedback collected will be reviewed and considered by the committee during its evaluation process.
In a statement, Minister of Health and Community Services John Hogan emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting, “We continue to make mental health and addiction services a high priority for our government. We welcome all feedback on how to improve mental health and addictions services. The feedback provided to the All-Party Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Addictions will be valuable as we take more steps to improve mental health and addictions services and ensure the most appropriate and effective mental health care can be provided throughout the province.”
For those in need of immediate mental health and addictions services, resources are available. Individuals can call 811, visit a local Doorways office, or access the provincial online directory at nl.Bridgethegapp.ca. Additionally, the Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Systems Navigator can be reached at 1-877-999-7589, and the Provincial Lifewise Warm Line is available daily from 10 a.m. to midnight at 1-855-753-2560.