The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families

Operated by Renfrew County Youth Services

"TURNING TROUBLES INTO TRIUMPHS"

BACKGROUNDER

 

ONTARIO IGNORES CRISIS FOR CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS FOR BASE PETAWAWA FAMILIES

 

The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families is a children’s mental health centre providing a range of treatment services to children, youth and families in Renfrew County.  Base Petawawa and the children, youth and families of military members serving in Afghanistan fall in the catchment area of The Phoenix Centre, but increasing referral rates over the last year have been overwhelming the already limited capacity The Phoenix Centre has available to be able to respond.

 

In December 2005 The Phoenix Centre had 15 military families on their caseload, this increased to 27 by July 2006, 54 by December 2006 and as of the end of January 2007 stands at 72 active families with 23 families on the waiting list….and this is felt to be just the tip of the iceberg as many of the moms and dads return home from the front and others leave for Afghanistan.

 

Greg Lubimiv, Executive Director of The Phoenix Centre expressed his concern to the Ministry in September 2006 asking for short term funding assistance to be able to provide appropriate and timely response.  The Minister of Children and Families, Mary Anne Chambers responded that no additional financial support would be provided.  Even with a second appeal from the Base Commander and a second urgent request from The Phoenix Centre and an appeal from local MP John Yakabuski and MPP Cheryl Gallant (December 2006) no help was offered by the Minister.

 

“Children’s Mental Health in Ontario has been a victim of under-funding for well over a decade with services eroding throughout Ontario,” reports Greg Lubimiv.  In the last 13 years there has been one 3% inflationary increase to core services.  Over 40% of children’s mental health services in Ontario will be reducing services in the coming year due to the lack of adequate funding.  The Phoenix Centre will be losing 3 staff positions after April 2007 in order to keep expenditures within the operating budget being provided by the Province.  “In normal circumstances we are hard pressed to meet the needs of Renfrew County children and families,” says Greg Lubimiv.  “In this extraordinary time where our military members and families are undergoing high stress and anxiety we feel like a sinking boat.”

 

Clasina Field, President of The Phoenix Centre Board expressed anger and frustration at the Ministry for abandoning the families of military members in a time of real need.  “Not only are we feeling like a sinking boat, but our distress calls are being ignored”.

 

                                                                                                                                             

 

In a letter from the Base Commander, Lt. Colonel Dave Rundle, the need for emergency help is clear “during the last four years CFB soldiers have experienced an extremely high operational and training tempo, which has seen approximately 6,210 Petawawa soldiers deploy to Afghanistan….The mission has not been easy with 16 soldiers from Petawawa alone paying the ultimate sacrifice for their county with many more wounded”.

 

A close partnership has been developing between the base services, the military family resource centre and The Phoenix Centre over the last year.  “We have increased our services to the Base but our waiting list is growing and our response to other areas of the County is greatly affected.

 

Recently there was national coverage on the impact of the Afghanistan mission on the children and families of military members.  Parents have been killed and seriously injured.  Children and spouses live every day with fear and worry about their loved ones and the stress has come out in the form of behaviour issues, trauma, grief, depression, anxiety and a range of other mental health disorders which need to be addressed.

 

The Phoenix Centre believes that the Province’s stand of not providing any additional funding to support the families of military members is unacceptable and requires immediate action.  “We are calling upon all Canadians to express their concern to the Premier and to Minister Chambers and call upon them to provide the necessary resources to reduce the stress and strain that the military community is experiencing”, states Clasina Field.

 

“If we truly support our Canadian troops how can we ignore what is happening to their families”, remarks Greg Lubimiv.

 

To call on the Ontario Government to support children’s mental health services for the children, youth and families of our Canadian Troops from Base Petawawa you can contact:

            Premier Dalton McGuinty

            Fax:                 (416) 325-3745

            E-mail:            dmcguinty.mpp@liberal.ola.org

            Address:        Legislative Building, Queen’s Park, Toronto, ON  M7A 1A1

 

            Minister Mary Anne Chambers

            Phone:            416-212-7432

            E-mail:            machambers.mpp@liberal.ola.org

            Address:        Ministry of Children and Youth Services, 56 Wellesley St. W.

                                    14th Floor, Toronto, ON  M5S 2S3

 

Please cc The Phoenix Centre on letters and e-mails:

 

            The Phoenix Centre for Children and Families

            E-mail:            mail@phoenixctr.com

            Phone:            613-735-2374

            Address:        130 Pembroke St. W., Suite 200, Pembroke, ON K8A 5M8