At last night’s regular monthly meeting, Warden Robert Parker gave an update to Pictou County
Council on the progress of the Crisis Mental Health Working Group.
The group, which was originally the County Warden and the Mayors of New Glasgow & Pictou, was formed soon after the Aberdeen Hospital closed its eight-bed mental health unit in 2015. The group now has representatives from all six municipalities, and is asking for three things from the Health Authority: faster triage for those with mental health issues, a mental health professional available to assess patients anytime of the day, and the reinstatement of mental health beds at Aberdeen, even if only for emergency use before patients are sent elsewhere for care.
Parker said there has been progress on the first ask, and there’s a commitment from the Aberdeen Hospital to have around the clock help available. In talking of the progress made, Parker gave credit to two women who shared their stories with the group about losing their sons to suicide and their personal experiences with the system to underline the urgency of the issue.