BC Finance Minister Selina Robinson released the provincial budget for 2021 on Tuesday.
During the update, the province promised to make the largest investment of $500 million into BC resident’s mental health.
BC’s Budget 2021 will include more mental health support in schools, as well as more Foundry centres which will quadruple the number of integrated child and youth support teams.
The investment promised to expand the response to the overdose crisis as well.
The government broke the investment down here:
- $97 million to build a better network of mental health supports for youth.
- $14 million for the First Nations Health Authority to deliver mental health and addictions services to Indigenous Peoples.
- $330 million to provide a full spectrum of substance-use treatment and recovery services, including opioid treatment.
- 195 new substance use treatment and recovery beds throughout the province to help more people get on a path to recovery.
- Another $61 million will be allocated to improve access and quality of mental health services.
“Budget 2021 continues to protect the health and safety of British Columbians and expands the services people rely on with $4 billion in new investments over the fiscal plan to strengthen health and mental health care supports,” the BC government said in a statement.
