New Democrats believe that there is much more we can do to save lives and support those struggling with opioids. In government, we will declare a public health emergency and commit to working with all levels of government, health experts and Canadians to end the criminalization and stigma of drug addiction, so that people struggling with addiction can get the help they need without fear of arrest, while getting tough on the real criminals - those who traffic in and profit from illegal drugs. We’ll work with the provinces and health professionals to create a safe supply of medically regulated alternatives to toxic street drugs, support overdose prevention sites and expand access to treatment on demand for people struggling with addiction. We will also launch an investigation into the role drug companies may have played in fueling the opioid crisis, and seek meaningful financial compensation from them for the public costs of this crisis.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

Read less

Introduce a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use to end the opioids crisis.

Invest $25 million for public education to reduce the stigma associated with problematic substance use.

Invest $500 million to support the provinces and territories in providing access to a full-range of evidence-based treatment, recognizing that successful treatment is not determined by long-term abstinence.

Support provinces and territories in creating standards for substance use treatment programs so that Canadians can access quality and evidence- based support when they need it most.

Support the many lower-risk and first-time offenders by reforming the Criminal Code to repeal relevant mandatory minimum penalties and requiring police and Crown prosecutors to consider diverting individuals out of the criminal justice system.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

Read less

Support innovative approaches to address the crises of mental health challenges and addiction, such as land-based treatment programs developed and managed by Indigenous communities as part of a plan to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities with high needs.

— Canada's Recovery Plan, retrieved 2021-08-18

Read less

Work with provinces and territories to help all Canadians have greater access to mental health courts and provide people suffering from mental health illnesses with a path to recovery.

Expand access to culturally appropriate, trauma-informed mental health services for Indigenous peoples that access treatment through mental health courts.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

Read less

As a first step, a New Democrat government would bring in mental health care for uninsured Canadians – ensuring that people with no coverage for mental health services could gain access to these supports without worrying about the cost. Our comprehensive pharmacare plan will also mean that prescription medication for mental health care will now be available free of cost to Canadians. We will work with provinces and territories to build on these initiatives and put in place a truly comprehensive approach to mental health services. And we believe that no new parent should struggle alone – it’s time for a national perinatal mental health strategy to support growing families before and after birth.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

Read less

Establish a new federal transfer to provinces and territories—the Canada Mental Health Transfer—to assist jurisdictions to expand the delivery of high- quality, accessible, and free mental health services. Building on the principles of universality and accessibility in the Canada Health Act, this transfer will help establish standards in each province and territory, so that Canadians are able to expect services that are timely, universal, and culturally competent. This will help each jurisdiction focus on and solve critical backlogs in service and provide help to those who need it, according to the unique needs in each region.

Commit to permanent, ongoing funding for mental health services under the Canada Mental Health Transfer, with an initial investment of $4.5 billion over 5 years. Including the existing bilateral agreement on mental health services signed in 2017, this would bring federal support for mental health services to $2.5 billion per year by 2025-26. This is in addition to further investments we will make to support First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities with better access to trauma and mental health services.

Undertake a comprehensive review of access to the Disability Tax Credit, CPP-Disability and other federal benefits and programs to ensure they are available to people experiencing mental health challenges.

Include mental health as a specific element of occupational health and safety under the Canada Labour Code and require federally regulated employers to take preventative steps to address workplace stress and injury.

Fully fund a national, three-digit mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline.

Work with partners to ensure timely access to perinatal mental health services.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

Read less

• Propose to the provinces that they partner with us by dedicating a significant portion of the stable, predictable health funding to mental health to ensure that an additional million Canadians can receive mental health treatment every year;

• Encourage employers to add mental health coverage to their employee benefit plans by offering a tax credit for 25% of the cost of additional mental health coverage for the first three years;

• Create a pilot program to provide $150 million over three years in grants to non-profits and charities delivering mental health and wellness programming; and

• Create a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline.

— Canada's Recovery Plan, retrieved 2021-08-18

Read less

And we believe that no new parent should struggle alone – it’s time for a national perinatal mental health strategy to support growing families before and after birth.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

Read less

Introduce a new fund for student well-being to improve wait times and increase access to mental health care at colleges and universities. The fund will support the hiring of up to 1200 new mental health care counsellors, including those who can support the needs of BIPOC students, at post secondary institutions across Canada. We will invest $500 million over four years and dedicate 10% annually to support Indigenous-governed and operated post-secondary institutions.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

Read less