Men’s mental health group sounds the alarm about ER wait times

A men’s mental health support group in Ste Anne is sounding the alarm about wait times in the ER to see a mental health practitioner.

Ste Anne councillor and co-founder of the group Jeremy Wiens said a group member went to the Bethesda Regional Health Centre three weeks ago to get help as he was having suicidal thoughts and hearing voices. After waiting in the emergency room for more than 24 hours he was finally admitted to the hospital, but it was another 24 hours before he saw a psychiatrist who adjusted his medication and made a mental health plan for him.

This was not the first time the member had gone to get help at an ER for his mental illness.

“We’re just trying to bring awareness to this and something needs to change. We’re not trying to bash the hospital, we’re just saying something needs to change to bring some kind of awareness to this,” said Wiens.

Manitoba spent approximately $439 million on mental health in 2024, which amounts to 5.6 percent of the overall health budget. While ER wait times outside of Winnipeg are not available, the average wait time to see a mental health practitioner in Manitoba is three months to a year.

“I can’t tell you if that’s normal, but it doesn’t sound particularly unusual,” said Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Marion Cooper about the ER wait time the member experienced.

“There isn’t enough support available particularly in rural and remote communities. The availability of mental health supports within community hospitals and ERs would be very limited often leading to wait times and the feeling the resources are not readily available,” she said.

According to Southern Health, Bethesda doesn’t have a psychiatrist available but does have three mental health liaison nurses with one being on a 12 hour shift in the ER at a time.

Southern Health said that “community mental health services are provided based on an individual’s assessed needs. The length of access to treatment is determined based on what services the client needs in review with their clinician. Mental health services are provided regionally ensuring all residents have access to mental health and addiction supports. We continue to work closely with the province to expand and improve mental health services wherever possible.”

Wiens said he and his group will lobby government to provide funding for better access and supports for mental health. Cooper said the province is currently working on an initiative to give Manitobans better access to mental health supports but that it’s in the planning stages.

“People have to figure out where to go to access mental health services. There is no one central place. It’s very challenging,” she said.