Centre for special needs youth needed: parents

A Fredericton-area family says the lack of treatment for their son proves there is a need to reform the services New Brunswick youth with mental health issues receive from the provincial government.

Troy and Tanya Michaud say their 18-year-old son has a multitude of problems including autism, learning disabilities and periods of psychosis.

The Michauds say their son is now being housed at the province's mental health facility in Campbellton after a violent confrontation with his father.

"We could deal with it before. We can't deal with him being in that hospital. We don't know what's going to happen to him," Troy Michaud said.

"He's going downhill fast. He's not happy. He's got no spirit left. He's got no will to even want to live like that. That's not living. That's coping or surviving. It's not living."

The Michauds are echoing an appeal from child and youth advocate Bernard Richard for a specialized facility for young people who have complex mental and behavioural problems.

The child and youth advocate was asked by the provincial government to propose a new model that could provide new services and better coordination than what exists now.

Richard said he understands the Progressive Conservative government is cutting costs as it does battle with the $820-million deficit.

However, Richard said in November that the existing services delivered to children with mental health issues operated by the provincial government are expensive and inefficient.