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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Psychologists can ease mental health logjam

Posted: 05/3/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

DEAR EDITOR,

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Thank you for your April 27 editorial A mental health crisis is needed and the article by Sel Burrows, Dumb and Dumber can't see how to fix crime. They really hit the mark, especially your editorial comment that therapy from practitioners other than psychiatrists works for many conditions, but it is an option available primarily to those who can afford private counselling.

It is a travesty that many people with mental health issues have to pay out of their own pockets for services from doctors who are specialists in assessing and treating mental illnesses. It is especially a travesty when provision of such services has been shown to save the government money.

Clinical and counselling psychologists like myself, in a regulated profession, holding PhDs and being recognized in many areas as being at least at an equivalent level to medical specialists in mental health, are widely recognized as essential providers in the mental health and corrections fields.

And yet there is limited access to our services for those who are most vulnerable to mental illness and criminal behaviour, because they cannot afford to or are not motivated to pay for services.

We need more psychological services available, especially to socially disadvantaged members of the public who need assistance in preventing deterioration into mental illness, suicidal behaviour and criminal behaviour.

In this last provincial election, it was only the Liberals who offered this in their platform. It is very unfortunate, as Burrows says, that the NDP and the PCs don't seem to get it.

BRUCE HUTCHISON

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 3, 2012 A11

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