On September 1, the first new health organization to come out of the dissolution of Alberta Health Services officially comes online. This means 10,000 employees, 500 contracts, and more than a billion dollars dedicated to addiction and mental health services under AHS will be transferred to a new entity called Recovery Alberta. If all goes according to the government’s plan, it will streamline services and offer Albertans better access to the health care they need.
As the Critic for Mental Health and Addiction, it’s my role to ensure the transition pays off, always with the goal that Albertans can access the health resources they need. Over the past few months, I’ve spoken with many people who described nightmare scenarios trying to find doctors, counsellors, and psychologists, prescriptions, and group programs to help themselves or a loved one with complex mental health issues. While the government is committed to building addiction treatment centres, I’m hearing about mental health programs being eliminated, and deeply inadequate services outside of Calgary and Edmonton.
So, I watch the transition to Recovery Alberta with cautious optimism. In the days following its announcement, there was a lot of confusion amongst addiction and mental health workers about how the transition would impact them. Healthcare is an incredibly complex system that is already difficult for families to navigate and consultation with those who know the system best is critical. Bill 22, the Health Statutes Amendment Act, introduces a new health system framework that is equally complex. We will all need to learn it together, and I look forward to supporting patients, families, and healthcare workers through the transition and beyond.
P.S. Thank you to everyone who came out to my Stampede BBQ. It was an amazing time, and I can’t wait to do it again next year!
MLA – Calgary Currie Janet Eremenko proudly serves the following Communities: Bankview, Currie, Glenbrook, Glendale, Killarney-Glengarry, Richmond-Knob Hill, Rosscarrock, Rutland Park, Scarboro, Scarboro/Sunalta West, Shaganappi, Spruce Cliff, Sunalta, Westgate
