auditor general says nova scotia's mental health office failing to effectively oversee services
4 minute read
auditor general kim adair said the office of mental health and addictions is not providing effective oversight to the services provided throughout nova scotia.
tim krochak
/
the chronicle herald
nova scotia’s office of addictions and mental health is not providing effective oversight of mental health and addiction services despite being established nearly five years ago to head up the province’s push for universal access to care, says a report from auditor general kim adair.
the audit found that the office’s role remains unclear, service access standards have not been established and it lacks a complete understanding of the mental health and addiction care available across the province.
the report also said performance monitoring was limited and there was a lack of public reporting on how the system was performing.
“what we found is that the office is not providing effective oversight of mental health and addiction services in nova scotia,” adair said to reporters tuesday.
the office of addictions and mental health was established in 2021 as part of the province’s efforts toward universal access to mental health and addictions care.
according to the report, the office had around $945 million in overall expenses over the past three years, including $937.6 million spent on addictions and mental health services.
“it’s not to say a lot of work hasn’t been done,” adair said. “we’re concerned that they’re five years in, and some of these fundamental aspects, which we expected would be in place by now, are not there.”
responsibilities remain unclear
a critical finding of the audit is that there is not a clear distinction between the role and responsibility of the office of addictions and mental health and the department of health and wellness in policy or practice.
despite the office having its own minister and deputy minister, adair said, its authority over addictions and mental health is not established clearly.
“it doesn’t exist in legislation like the health authorities act or policy or regulation,” she said. “when responsibility and authority are not allying, it’s difficult to hold anyone responsible.”
advertisement
one recommendation in the report is the establishment of a signed agreement between the office and the department to clearly outline their respective responsibilities.
access to care standards missing
the auditor general’s office also discovered service access standards have not been established for mental health and addictions services, meaning there are no provincewide expectations outlining what universal access to care would look like.
the report says the office does not know the full extent of mental health and addictions services available or where all services are located.
adair said defining universal access should involve determining what services are available, where they are located and what nova scotians should reasonably be able to expect when seeking help.
“the public will be aware when a government makes a commitment of universal access, it will be clear as to what you expect.”
currently, nova scotia delivers services at 97 locations throughout the province.
limited performance monitoring
the audit found that the office of addictions and mental health had not yet defined performance measures for universal mental health care and receives reports from nova scotia health and the iwk health centre that lack clear expectations. as a result, it is difficult to measure whether the mental health system is meeting its goals.
the report also found the office does not report publicly on the performance of the services for mental health and addictions in the province.
department points to expanded services
in a statement tuesday, addictions and mental health minister brian comer said the province remains committed to universal mental health and addictions care and has focused on expanding publicly funded services.
he wrote that nova scotia was the first province in canada to commit to universal access to care for mental health and addictions and has expanded services through nova scotia health, the iwk health centre, community organizations and private clinicians.
advertisement
“today, more nova scotians are being connected to care, with more services available through the public health-care system, private sector, community-based organizations and post-secondary institutions than ever before,” comer said.
the minister also pointed to expanded youth services through anchor youth spaces, recovery support centres and new pathways to care through the provincial intake line as examples of progress.
he added that the department welcomes the auditor general’s recommendations and said they “agree on the importance of strong measurement, clear accountability and continuous improvement.”
the department said it will use the report to strengthen measuring outcomes, performance monitoring and transparency while working toward the goal of universal access to care.
nova scotia’s mental health challenges
the audit noted that the province faces rates of mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse disorders and alcohol-related hospitalizations higher than the national average. adair said challenges with mental health and addiction can often lead to issues with food and housing insecurity.
“those are all very concerning indicators, so when there’s not universal access to the services, those indicators are not likely to improve,” adair said. “there’s many concerns that would continue if this function isn’t functioning the way we expect.”
the report made 10 recommendations for the office with the goal of strengthening oversight, management and public reporting. the office of addictions and mental health has accepted them all.
mla lisa lachance, mental health and addictions critic for the ndp, says the nova scotia government needs to be honest to nova scotians about timelines and standards for accessing care.
ryan taplin
/
the chronicle herald
lisa lachance, mental health and addictions critic for the ndp, put out a statement saying that without knowing the extent of the care being provided, the province cannot expect it to improve.
“this government can’t fix health care if they don’t know what care is needed or actually being delivered,” lachance wrote. “as more and more people lose trust in this government, the very least nova scotians should be able to expect is honesty about timelines and standards for accessing care.”
advertisement
the liberal party declined to comment.
share story
