Vancouver is looking at creating a mental-health strategy to identify the needs of people with mental illness and co-ordinate services.
“We’re going to try and take a leadership role,” said Coun. Kerry Jang, a professor of psychiatry at the University of B.C.
“We want to grab the bull by the horns and say, ‘Look, we need these services. Here is exactly what we need.’”
Jang’s motion on notice could be voted on today. It calls for city staff to report back within one month with plans to create mental health advocate and planning positions.
The intent of the motion, Jang said, is not to deliver services (which he says is the responsibility of the province and Vancouver Coastal Health), but rather, to help determine what services are needed in the city.
