Hotel-Dieu Grace aims to make youth mental health a major election issue

Hospital officials in Windsor said they will push to make the mental health of young Windsorites a major issue in the next provincial election.

Janice Kaffer, CEO of Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare said mental health services for young people in Windsor are chronically underfunded.

"Children's mental health services haven't seen a real base increase in funding in well over a decade across the province of Ontario," said Kaffer.

Kaffer said the stagnant funding has meant that services have been cut to the bare essentials and that has translated in long wait times for treatment.

"Locally in Windsor we have a capacity issue," she said. "We have just essential services, which means that kids are waiting, kids and parents are waiting a very long time for services."

On average, young people face a four-month wait time for mental health treatment in Windsor.

Ontario is set to go to the polls in June, with the Liberal government expected to deliver a budget in the coming months.

Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare and other organizations will be making the case to increase funding at pre-budget consultations in Windsor Thursday.

Kaffer said they'll also be setting an all-party round-table discussion on mental health once the election has been called.