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Nelson referenced land-based therapies that have shown to be effective with Indigenous patients in the north, but the therapy is not mentioned anywhere in the government’s Pillars of Life suicide prevention plan.

Rackow called the government’s decision to vote down the NDP’s suicide prevention bill in June “disappointing.”

“That would have held the government to maintain that as a priority, as well as shown that they aren’t afraid to agree that it’s a priority,” said Rackow.

The government’s reasoning for voting down the bill was the existence of the Pillars of Life plan.

Despite his ongoing concerns, Nelson said there are still good things happening with government support into mental health. In the 2020-2021 budget, the province is providing $435 million for mental health and addictions services, an increase of $33 million.

In a statement outlining its current spending plan, the Ministry of Health said that investing in mental health and addictions services is a priority for the government.

Some of those spending plans include $3 million towards residential support beds to help people transition from a hospital setting back into the community. The government has also committed $1.3 million to intensive supports for children and youth with complex and mental health needs, and $1.25 million towards suicide prevention efforts.

In response to mental health needs in rural communities, the government is providing $437,000 towards a pilot project that will allow nurses to work with RCMP members.

Nelson is thankful for the money the government is spending, but wants to see a long-term plan and sustained spending in the years ahead. He would also like to see the government talk to a broader range of stakeholders. Not just those in the medical field.

“They’re starting down the road a bit right? But they need to keep it up and they need to put more in,” said Nelson.

mmelnychuk@postmedia.com