Nova Scotia Legislature. Photo courtesy Communications Nova Scotia

A busy legislative session at Province House hasn’t slowed the announcements coming from the Nova Scotia government.

Wednesday started with an announcement of a new tax credit to help offset the cost of fertility care and surrogacy.

From 2022 onward, Nova Scotians can claim 40 percent of the care and treatment costs up to a maximum amount of $20,000 for applicant families.

Following shortly after the announcement came news that applications are now open for the More Opportunity for Skilled Trades (MOST) provincial income tax refund.

The program refunds the provincial income tax paid on the first $50,000 of income earned by workers in eligible skilled trades and film and video occupations.

Eligible workers must be under 30 in the tax year and be employed and registered as an apprentice or certified journeyperson in an eligible trade, film or video industry occupation to qualify.

Both credits will be applied after applicants have filed their 2022 taxes and can provide their notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.

The afternoon started with an announcement from the province that mental health and addictions phone line will be open weekday holidays beginning Good Friday, April 7.

That line is open most weekdays from 8:30am until 4:30pm.

For non-urgent mental health supports the number to call is 1-855-922-1122.

Finally, the province announced $10 million in funding to supply schools across Nova Scotia with more Chromebooks, iPads and laptop computers.

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Photo Ed Halverson

A program providing mental health resources by phone is receiving a boost from the J & W Murphy Foundation.

ICAN, a telephone consultation program run by the Strongest Families Institute is being funded to the tune of $230,000.

ICAN is an eight-week program that provides weekly telephone calls with a coach to help support people through their depression and anxiety.

The money will provide free access to mental health counselling for close to 200 people over the next two years.

President and CEO of the Strongest Families Institute Dr. Patricia Lingley-Pottie says after three years of living under the spectre of a pandemic people need a place to talk about their experiences, especially those aged 18-25.

“And what we’re seeing is anxiety and depression are really impairing people, especially our emerging adults and those communities who may be underserved,” said Pottie. “They’re not gaining timely access to really evidence-based services, effective services that can help equip them with these types of skills to really conquer these problems.”

The ICAN program offers strategies to help deal with depression and anxiety.

Pottie offered an example of a simple tip to help manage those issues.

“Mental health and well-being is such an important part of our general health and it’s so important take time for yourself. So, I’m always about Dr. Trish tips; make sure you schedule self-care for yourself every single day even if it’s only 10 minutes, take 10 for yourself,” said Pottie.

Anyone interested in participating in the ICAN program can self-refer by calling 1-866-470-7111 or through the Strongest Families Institute website.

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Photo Ed Halverson

A new program from the Region of Queens aims to bring senior men together to address mental health.

The Men’s Shed program is a chance to socialize in much the same way as people would in a garage or workshop.

Facilitator and Physical Activity Coordinator for the municipality Norm Amirault says research has shown as men get older they have a more difficult time than women connecting with their peers.

“Sometimes older men lose their way a little bit. So much of their identity is tied to their work,” said Amirault. “If they haven’t kept up connections, like with Kinsmen or their church or with whatever, they can, very much, get lost a little bit.”

Each Men’s Shed group decide for themselves their activities.

Many pursue interests such as woodworking, repairing bicycles and music, all with the aim of providing an outlet for men to socialize with each other.

Amirault says after decades of working, many older men are isolated which can lead to mental health issues such as depression.

“The overall impression is that men’s self-worth or men’s self image is often tied to their career and when they retire and perhaps they don’t have as many community things, they tend to lose their way,” said Amirault.

The Men’s Shed movement started in Australia in 2007, spreading to New Zealand, the UK and arriving in Canada in 2015.

The movement has caught on in Western Canada and Ontario and this will be the first Men’s Shed group in the Atlantic provinces.

Amirault says the group will be a men’s only organization but for the first meeting, wives and female friends are encouraged to attend.

“Because often times the males of the species need a little push to get involved in things,” said Amirault.

The first meeting of the Men’s Shed group is Wednesday September 29 at Queens Place.

Due to COVID restrictions, anyone wishing to attend is asked to confirm they are coming in advance by calling Norm Amirault at (902) 354-5741.

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PC Leader Tim Houston addresses crowd at Shipyards Landing, Bridgewater in July 2020. Photo credit: Ed Halverson

Nova Scotia Progressive Conservatives are setting mental health as one of the party’s top priorities.

In what could be seen as a precursor to an election campaign, PC Leader Tim Houston released the comprehensive plan in Halifax last week.

“We want to put this forward because it’s really important to me that Nova Scotians know what I as a leader stand for, what our party stands for and really has a sense of what we will do, what our vision is for this province,” said Houston.

The centerpiece of the plan is to pull mental health out of the health portfolio and make a new department with a dedicated minister to be accountable.

Houston says the province already spends over $344 million on mental health services each year, which separated out would make it the seventh largest department by budget behind Community Services, Education, Health, Justice, Labour and Advanced Education and Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

“The bill’s already on the table,” said Houston. “What we’re doing is saying, look, we’re willing to pick up the bill, acknowledge the bill and deal with it. Because the cost to our society of people not getting health care, not getting addictions and mental health support when they need it, the cost is tremendous.”

Houston says statistics show 500,000 Canadians will miss work this year because of a mental health ailment.

The PC plan would invest in universal mental health care by creating new billing codes for mental health to allow private mental health professionals to bill the province for their services.

Houston says that allows every Nova Scotian to access mental health services when they are needed.

“If you have money in your pocket, you can get private care or if you work for an employer that has coverage you can get private care, but for everyone else you can’t. That’s called a two-tier system where those who have money can get treatment and those who don’t, can’t, and this country, this province, we’re not on with two-tiered systems. Health care access, addictions and mental health access, it has to be universal. Everyone should be able to access it,” said Houston.

Any Nova Scotia who currently has mental health coverage through an existing plan would be expected to use that first and provisions would be made to ensure employers couldn’t cut mental health care coverage from their health plans.

As the third pillar of the plan, Houston hopes more mental health professionals will be attracted to the province once they see the supports are in place.

Houston says bringing those professionals to Nova Scotia will reduce wait times for help, which can currently be up to a year.

“There’s nothing worse right now than someone in a crisis who goes to the emergency room and spends hours and hours and hours, waiting and waiting, only to probably be told to call another line on Monday morning. That’s very, very cruel,” said Houston. “Well, I guess something worse than that is the person that doesn’t go to the emergency room because they’re worried about the stigma.”

Houston admits most people would generally equate the PC Party with fiscal restraint and not progressive social policy, but said they would be missing part of the party’s core ideals.

“We have always been a socially progressive party. Yes, fiscally responsible but government that’s accountable, government that listens, and you see that in what we do when we’re in government,” said Houston. “We have a human rights commission in this province because of a PC government. A lot of people don’t know, Nova Scotia only the ninth jurisdiction in the world to legalize same-sex marriage – under a PC government because one of our core values is to be socially progressive.”

Houston says opposition parties don’t generally provide detailed policy plans but he would be happy to see the sitting liberal government take theirs and run with it, because the mental health of Nova Scotians is too important to wait.

Reported by Ed Halverson 
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