Province to move youth mental health centre to Moncton from Campbellton
Construction of centre in Campbellton was halted earlier this year after ombud report
The provincial government will open a youth mental health facility in Moncton instead of Campbelltonand use the partially finished building in the northern cityas a rehabilitationcentre.
Progressive Conservative Health Minister Ted Flemming announced the decision Thursday months after calls to relocatemental health facility.
Flemming said building the centre in Moncton would "increase access to the resources required to best meet the needs of young people struggling with mental health and addiction issues."
Flemming said the partially constructed building would be finished and used for "state of the art" rehabilitation programs for youth and adults with addictions and mental health needs.
Construction of the$14.4-million youth centre was described as about 90 per cent complete when work was halted earlier this year while a review of the plans was underway.
The facility was meant to be a "centre of excellence" that would serve as a service hub.
Bernard Richard, the province's formerchild and youth advocate, had issued a report in 2011 calling for itto be constructed in an urban centre near a university research facility, close to specialized services and in a place where recruitment and retention would be easy.
Flemming said the Health Department reviewed previous reports, including Richard's, and consulted various groups to make its decision.
Liberal MLAs representing the Campbellton region decried the move.
"We're not pleased with it,"Campbellton-DalhousieMLAGuy Arseneaulttold reporters at the legislature while standing besideRestigouche West MLA Gilles LePage.
"My opinion is, if there's a centre for youth excellence for mental health, it should be in Campbellton, it shouldn't be relocated,"Arseneaultadded.
Mayor 'over the moon'
The government plans to spend $10 million in 2020-21 to repurpose the Campbellton building, according to a news release. It will have 24 beds, up from the planned 18.
Campbellton Mayor Stephanie Anglehart-Paulin said Flemming told her about the decision on Tuesday, and she called it a "win-win" for the region.
"I'm over the moon to know they aren't mothballing the facility completely," Anglehart-Paulin said.
She said the community has a greater need forrehabilitation services.
Flemming told reporters the province islooking at options for a youth centrelocation in Moncton, which could include existing space. He saidRichard will assist the province to determine the location.
"We are back to doing it the way it should have been done in the first place," Flemming said. "The experts are being listened to. We will do it right this time."
Flemming said earlier this year that cancelling the almost-finishedyouth centre in Campbelltonwas a possibility.
Interior work on the building was suspended after ombud Charles Murray recommendedcancellation.
Murray hadraised concerns aboutattracting enough qualified staff to that area of northern New Brunswick.
A report by Murray released in February describedsignificant mistreatment and inadequate careat the Restigouche Hospital Centre, next door to the youth centre.
'Worst public policy decision'
Richardcalledthe decision by the former Liberal government in 2015to build the youth centre in Campbellton"the worst public policy decision" he's seen.
Donald Arseneault, then-Liberal MLA for the area, haddefended the choice that he said was made because ofCampbellton'strack record with health-care facilities like the psychiatric hospital and detox centre.
Partners for Youth also called on the province to reconsider locating the youth centre and instead look at moving it to a more central location.
"Today, we begin a new process to get this right for kids,"John Sharpe, director of development with Partners for Youth, said Thursday.
Flemminghad questioned the decision to build it in Campbellton in the first place.
"Every credible expert said, 'Don't put it there,' and government did it anyway," Flemming said in February.
On Thursday, he began the announcement by saying it wasn't a politicaldecision to shift the youth centre to Moncton.
With files from Jacques Poitras
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