New Democrats believe that there is much more we can do to save lives and support those struggling with opioids. In government, we will declare a public health emergency and commit to working with all levels of government, health experts and Canadians to end the criminalization and stigma of drug addiction, so that people struggling with addiction can get the help they need without fear of arrest, while getting tough on the real criminals - those who traffic in and profit from illegal drugs. We’ll work with the provinces and health professionals to create a safe supply of medically regulated alternatives to toxic street drugs, support overdose prevention sites and expand access to treatment on demand for people struggling with addiction. We will also launch an investigation into the role drug companies may have played in fueling the opioid crisis, and seek meaningful financial compensation from them for the public costs of this crisis.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

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1. Declare the drug poisoning crisis a national public health emergency

2. Decriminalize possession of illicit drugs for personal use

● Remove criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of all drugs under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

● Legislate this change rather than relying on informal, incremental, and discretionary measures that fall short of real decriminalization.

3. Create a national safe supply of drugs of choice

● Create a programme through the federal government so people can access pharmaceutical alternatives of drugs of choice safely.

4. Invest in an integrated system of decriminalization and access to meaningful services for those persons who are seeking treatment

● Increase funding to community-based organizations to test drugs and support those who use drugs.

● Implement a national education and distribution program for Naloxone, so Naloxone kits are widely available to treat overdoses and every Canadian knows what it is and how to use it.

● Create a legal and policy environment that funds and advances evidence-based programmes, in order to facilitate the development and scaling up of harm reduction services across all of Canada, including in rural communities and prisons.

● Expand support for mental health services and addiction services for those who are seeking these services.

5. Amnesty for those convicted of simple possession of cannabis

● Provide automatic pardons to anyone convicted in the past of simple possession of cannabis and ensure that any records of such offences and circumstances are expunged from police records.

6. Move to legally regulate currently illegal drugs based on the best available evidence regarding harms and benefits as a step towards treating problematic drug use as a health issue.

● Drug regulation with a public health focus, as is the case with alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis in Canada currently, could provide safer access while protecting individuals and populations.

● Depending on the substance and potential harms and benefits, regulation could range from prescriptions to regulated outlets to licensed premises, with the aim of providing safer access for adults, while protecting children and youth.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-22

● Approach the drug poisoning crisis as a healthcare issue, not a criminal issue

● Declare drug poisonings a national health emergency.

● Recognize that fentanyl contamination is why deaths are more accurately described as poisonings than overdoses.

● Decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use.

● Ensure there is access to a safe screened and public supply of drugs of choice.

● Ensure there is access to the medical support drug users need.

● Increase funding to community-based organizations to test street drugs.

● Make Naloxone kits widely available to treat overdoses.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-11

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Support innovative approaches to address the crises of mental health challenges and addiction, such as land-based treatment programs developed and managed by Indigenous communities as part of a plan to enhance the delivery of culturally appropriate addictions treatment and prevention services in First Nations communities with high needs.

— Canada's Recovery Plan, retrieved 2021-08-18

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Introduce a comprehensive strategy to address problematic substance use to end the opioids crisis.

Invest $25 million for public education to reduce the stigma associated with problematic substance use.

Invest $500 million to support the provinces and territories in providing access to a full-range of evidence-based treatment, recognizing that successful treatment is not determined by long-term abstinence.

Support provinces and territories in creating standards for substance use treatment programs so that Canadians can access quality and evidence- based support when they need it most.

Support the many lower-risk and first-time offenders by reforming the Criminal Code to repeal relevant mandatory minimum penalties and requiring police and Crown prosecutors to consider diverting individuals out of the criminal justice system.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

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Work with provinces and territories to help all Canadians have greater access to mental health courts and provide people suffering from mental health illnesses with a path to recovery.

Expand access to culturally appropriate, trauma-informed mental health services for Indigenous peoples that access treatment through mental health courts.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

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As a first step, a New Democrat government would bring in mental health care for uninsured Canadians – ensuring that people with no coverage for mental health services could gain access to these supports without worrying about the cost. Our comprehensive pharmacare plan will also mean that prescription medication for mental health care will now be available free of cost to Canadians. We will work with provinces and territories to build on these initiatives and put in place a truly comprehensive approach to mental health services. And we believe that no new parent should struggle alone – it’s time for a national perinatal mental health strategy to support growing families before and after birth.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

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1. Establish a national mental health strategy and a suicide prevention strategy

● Negotiate the Canada Health Accord to prioritize expansion of mental health and rehabilitation services, and call for the inclusion of mental health services as medically necessary.

● Allocate increased direct federal investment in community-based mental health care.

● Establish robust accountability mechanisms to ensure the delivery of mental health care on par with physical health.

2. Increase investments in Indigenous-led mental health

● Increased support for Indigenous-led, culturally safe, mental health programs and services, rooted in Indigenous healing practices, land-based healing and the principle of self-determination.

● Ensure all programming is guided by the First Nations Mental Wellness Continuum Framework.

● Establish permanent program funding for the delivery of land-based, trauma-informed, community addictions care for Indigenous peoples.

● Increase targeted investment in the mental health workforce serving Indigenous communities.

● Double the current budget of the Aboriginal Health Human Resources Initiative.

● Take active steps to implement Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action, specifically those related to mental health.

3. Support First Nations, Métis and Inuit in (re)building traditional knowledge systems around healing and wellness

● Incorporate the formal inclusion of traditional healing within mental wellness and home and community care programs.

● Ensure this process is led by First Nations, Métis Nation and Inuit organizations.

4. Invest in youth mental health.

● Provide specific funding for early mental health interventions, including social and emotional learning programs, quality and accessible early childhood education, access to community-based mental health services for parents and caregivers, youth peer support programs, mobile youth mental health clinics, etc.

● Launch a targeted strategy aimed at ensuring timely access to mental health services for young people and children

● Provide funding for prevention, treatment, and research related to youth mental health, to address the growing crisis of mental health issues among young people.

● Call for a national study on the impact of phones and social media on mental health in adolescents.

5. Invest in community supportive housing

● Creating housing stock alone will not necessarily meet the needs of those with severe and/or chronic mental health issues. Supportive housing combines access to affordable units with intensive coordinated services. It would include rental supplements/allowances, case management, counselling, assistance with medication, and life skills training.

— Be Daring., retrieved 2021-09-11

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• Propose to the provinces that they partner with us by dedicating a significant portion of the stable, predictable health funding to mental health to ensure that an additional million Canadians can receive mental health treatment every year;

• Encourage employers to add mental health coverage to their employee benefit plans by offering a tax credit for 25% of the cost of additional mental health coverage for the first three years;

• Create a pilot program to provide $150 million over three years in grants to non-profits and charities delivering mental health and wellness programming; and

• Create a nationwide three-digit suicide prevention hotline.

— Canada's Recovery Plan, retrieved 2021-08-18

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Establish a new federal transfer to provinces and territories—the Canada Mental Health Transfer—to assist jurisdictions to expand the delivery of high- quality, accessible, and free mental health services. Building on the principles of universality and accessibility in the Canada Health Act, this transfer will help establish standards in each province and territory, so that Canadians are able to expect services that are timely, universal, and culturally competent. This will help each jurisdiction focus on and solve critical backlogs in service and provide help to those who need it, according to the unique needs in each region.

Commit to permanent, ongoing funding for mental health services under the Canada Mental Health Transfer, with an initial investment of $4.5 billion over 5 years. Including the existing bilateral agreement on mental health services signed in 2017, this would bring federal support for mental health services to $2.5 billion per year by 2025-26. This is in addition to further investments we will make to support First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities with better access to trauma and mental health services.

Undertake a comprehensive review of access to the Disability Tax Credit, CPP-Disability and other federal benefits and programs to ensure they are available to people experiencing mental health challenges.

Include mental health as a specific element of occupational health and safety under the Canada Labour Code and require federally regulated employers to take preventative steps to address workplace stress and injury.

Fully fund a national, three-digit mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline.

Work with partners to ensure timely access to perinatal mental health services.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

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And we believe that no new parent should struggle alone – it’s time for a national perinatal mental health strategy to support growing families before and after birth.

— Ready for Better, retrieved 2021-08-27

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● Provide specific funding for early mental health interventions, including social and emotional learning programs, quality and accessible early childhood education, access to community-based mental health services for parents and caregivers, youth peer support programs, mobile youth mental health clinics, etc.

● Launch a targeted strategy aimed at ensuring timely access to mental health services for young people and children

● Provide funding for prevention, treatment, and research related to youth mental health, to address the growing crisis of mental health issues among young people.

● Call for a national study on the impact of phones and social media on mental health in adolescents.

— Be Daring., retreived 2021-09-11

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Introduce a new fund for student well-being to improve wait times and increase access to mental health care at colleges and universities. The fund will support the hiring of up to 1200 new mental health care counsellors, including those who can support the needs of BIPOC students, at post secondary institutions across Canada. We will invest $500 million over four years and dedicate 10% annually to support Indigenous-governed and operated post-secondary institutions.

— Forward. For Everyone., retrieved 2021-09-02

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