AMC, First Nations family calling for changes to mental health support for children

A First Nations family is demanding accountability for “systemic failures” in Manitoba’s mental health care system.

A First Nations family and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs are calling for accountability and an independent investigation after a teenage girl was in the care of the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre (MATC), saying she hasn’t received “adequate medical support.”

Susan Albert said her niece, who is 14, was taken to the MATC last year to receive treatment following a psychotic episode.

After six months, she was sent back home to Norway House Cree Nation.

However, Albert said her niece continues to struggle, and she feels she is not receiving the appropriate care.

“Her treatment now consists of a once-a-month telehealth appointment with an assigned psychiatrist and weekly virtual sessions with a therapist who is not present in our community. This level of care is completely inadequate for someone in crisis and does not allow for proper assessment or intervention,” said Albert.

“Without a clear diagnosis or treatment plan, and with only infrequent virtual check-ins, she has been left to suffer without relief.”

Albert said her family has been trying to receive a second opinion for her niece in Manitoba but have been unable to, as they say MATC is the only one who can provide an assessment and diagnosis.

Now, they are requesting a second opinion from someone outside the province, noting there are “systemic failures” in the current health-care system.

“No child should be discharged before they are ready, placed in their community without adequate services, or forced to rely on infrequent virtual appointments as their only source of care.”

AMC Grand Chief Kyra Wilson said this is a situation that is all too familiar for First Nations youth, and change needs to happen to better take care of and protect youth that need mental health support.

“The family here that sits today, they’re advocating for their own family, for their own child, but they’re also speaking for every First Nations child, and they want to make sure that no more children fall through the cracks when we are trying to access mental health services,” said Wilson.

“This is a time for action. We demand justice, we demand accountability, and we demand culturally competent care that honours our voices and protects our children, and we will not stop until we get that.”

Norway House Cree Nation Coun. Deon Clarke said a letter has been sent to the health minister’s office.

“We want to make sure that this system has proper oversight. It should have First Nation input on how they take care of our children, especially children that are forced to relocate and to live in this situation,” said Clarke.

Speaking to CTV News Winnipeg Wednesday, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said the government takes the concerns very seriously.

“I can say that we’ve been in touch with the family. The deputy minister of mental health is going to be working directly with the family to provide the necessary supports and understand how we can ensure that this young person gets the care that they need and deserve,” said Asagwara.

They noted they understand the “long-standing inequities” in mental health support for First Nations people and are working to change that.

“The way we address those inequities is by listening to Indigenous folks, to First Nations people, and by committing to working together to make meaningful change. We are committed to not only listening to these concerns, but learning what we need to do in partnership and collaboration on a government-to-government level, nation-to-nation level, and directly with families to move these services in a better direction.”

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Shared Health said they were sorry that the family didn’t feel they got support they needed.

“While patient privacy legislation prevents us from sharing specific details related to the care of any individual patient, we always strive to provide exceptional and culturally appropriate care whether it be at one of our facilities or in the patient’s community. Patient Relations has been in touch with the family to learn more around the specifics of their experience,” they said.

“We encourage this family to continue working with their care team, who will continue to support them and connect them to other resources if appropriate.”

In response to CTV’s article, the Albert family and Norway House Cree Nation said in a statement that as of Thursday afternoon they hadn’t heard from anyone in the government.

“Yesterday, after the conference, Deputy Minister Catherine Gates acknowledged that her office is aware of the situation and has been in discussions with MATC and Shared Health. However, no one from their office had made contact with the family. The fact that these conversations are happening behind closed doors, without transparency or direct communication with those most impacted, reinforces our concerns about the lack of accountability in this process,” the statement reads.

CTV News Winnipeg has reached out to the health minister for further clarification on their comments.