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One in five Ontario children struggles with a diagnosable disorder emotional, mental or behavioural. And in Halton, getting help isnt easy due to a long wait list in some cases up to a year for services. Many local kids and teens remain undi- agnosed and untreated. This dire situation regarding childrens men- tal health was presented to Halton Regions health and social services committee last week by Ron Rodgers, executive director of the Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK). The need for child psychiatry in Halton out- weighs the capacity to meet it, Rodgers said, explaining fewer than 25 per cent of kids with mental health disorders are treated. ROCK is a non-profit childrens mental health centre in Halton for kids and teens up to 18 years old. It deals with emotional, behaviour- al, developmental, learning and social difficul- ties at locations in Oakville, Burlington and Milton. But its flooded by the demand for services and doesnt have nearly the funding it needs, Rodgers said. ROCK which receives funding from the Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services, the United Way and Halton Region needs $1 million to upgrade salaries and an annualized cost of living increase, Rodgers said. Wait times range from three months for ROCKs community outreach program to a year for its psychology services, occupational therapy and behaviour management program. The long waits before ROCK can provide diagnoses means a longer wait for ensuing spe- cialized services, since a diagnosis is required first, Rodgers said. In addition to the issue of wait lists, some parents of children with mental health problems and struggling teens dont reach out because of the stigma thats still associated with mental ill- ness, Rodgers said. Theyre the quiet majority who dont come to our door, he said. Milton Councillor Colin Best said he agreed with the substantial need that exists. These waiting lists are ridiculous, he said. Rodgers said he supports bringing an addi- tional child psychiatrist to north Halton. This option had been presented in a staff report to committee. The committee and regional council at its meeting Wednesday endorsed a motion for the Region to provide interim funding for the last quarter of 2008 to bring the services of a child and adolescent psychiatrist, providing the doctor is still available, to north Halton two days per week, starting later this year. In response to Rodgers presentation, Oakville Councillor Fred Oliver made a motion to have staff report back on the creation of a task force to deal with youth mental health issues. We need to have enough guts to get up and do something, Oliver said. The motion was endorsed by the committee and council. Local kids facing long wait for mental health services Sadly, youths who cant readily access services often end up using drugs and dropping out of school, Zeni said. In the worst-case scenarios they commit suicide, something each north Halton community has experienced over the past year, she said. I urge you to get this psychiatrist in Georgetown, in Milton, in Acton by September, Zeni pleaded. We need this. The staff report explains theres a shortage of child psychiatrists across Canada. It states it was late in 2007 that a youth psychiatrist made contact to say he was interested in moving part of his practice to Halton. Zeni asked the committee if funding could be allocated to have the psychiatrist bring his services sooner than 2009. Region CAO Pat Moyle said there are funds available for this. Halton Hills Councillor Clark Somerville made a motion for the Region to provide interim financ- ing for the last quarter of 2008 to bring the psy- chiatrist as soon as possible. This is such a good news report and any way we can provide this kind of funding (we should do it), Somerville said. The committee endorsed his motion, which regional council also approved at its meeting Wednesday. This is a giant step for providing the care we need for children in north Halton, said Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette at the council meeting. Medical Officer of Health Dr. Bob Nosal said although it might be overly ambitious to think they could have everything in place two months from now, the psychiatrist could probably offer services at least one day per week by this fall with some support staff in place. The cost of doing this would be about $150,000 for the last four months of 2008. The 2009 preliminary costs are estimated at $476,000 in the staff report. Oakville Councillor Fred Oliver was a strong proponent of the motion. If we can spend thousands of dollars to save a tree (at Halton Regional Centre), surely we can spend thousands of dollars to save lives. STEPHANIE HOUNSELL Special to The IFP Region to put up money for mental health care Continued from pg. 1 CLARK SOMERVILLE Family and friends of Tim DaSilva, the young Milton man who was killed while building a BMX track at Halton Place in 2006, were devastated Thursday by the Niagara Escarpment Commission decision that an order issued earlier should stand, and the track must be removed by August 20. Many of the 30 or so supporters of DaSilva and the Ontario Cycling Association, friends and family were at the NEC meeting in Georgetown hoping the Commission would stay the order to remove the track that was built without a NEC per- mit until it had a chance to decide whether or not to approve a plan amend- ment application to allow the BMX facility. But their hopes were dashed when the NEC voted 12-4 in favour of allowing the restoration order to remain in effect and take its course, meaning the track has to be flattened and the land restored. Were all very disappointed and shocked, said Andy Kirkpatrick, a BMX supporter and friend of Tims mom Zira, who declined to comment following the meeting. She burst into tears when she heard the decision, and many of the friends and supporters of DaSilvas also cried. As much as we dont respect the decision, we have to live with it, said Kirkpatrick. He said the outcome was devastat- ing for the family and DaSilvas friends and supporters who have been fighting to keep the track intact with the goal of reopening it. DaSilva, 20, an elite BMX rider, died two years ago, when he was crushed by an overturned roller he had been operating while building the track at the 15 Sideroad farm. A visibly upset Nicky Pearson of the Ontario Cycling Association, who has been working alongside the DaSilva family to preserve the track, said she was extremely disappointed the track has to come down. She vowed to continue to fight, now to rebuild the track as Halton Place has recently filed an appli- cation for a Niagara Escarpment Plan Amend- ment (NEPA) to permit a BMX track on its proper- ty. Halton Place plans to continue with the NEPA, and if it gets approval, to rebuild the track. Because Tim would not quit, I will not quit. I will do this until my dying day. He was like my kid, and Im not going to let him go down for nothing, said Pearson. Its not a quarry. Were not going to widen roads, were not going to put in floodlights, were not going to put in asphalt turns. Its dirt and its for the kids, said Pearson. She was upset with statements made at the meeting by Halton Place neighbour Jack Pemberton who called for the NEC to uphold its restoration order and compared allowing the track to remain while Independent & Free Press, Wednesday, July 23, 2008 3 BACKYARD TOUCH 3. 9.000x30 COL=BW 72596 Backyard Touch WHATS THE DEAL WITH SALT WATER HOT TUBS? 318 Guelph Street Georgetown 905.873.8835 STORE HOURS: MON.-FRI. 10-6, SAT. 10-5, SUN. 11-3 (FORMERLY BEACHCOMBER). . . Home of The Self-Cleaning Saltwater Hot Tub See the clarity & feel the difference a self cleaning salt water hot tub makes. Offer valid until July 31/08. See retailer for details. ONLY 9 DAYS LEFT! Halton Hills resident Vaclav Trcka and daughter Kathy make pals with Little Love during Halton Place's recent community appreciation day. Photo by Daniel Ho Decision devastates family of dead rider NEC upholds order to level BMX track LISA TALLYN Staff Writer TIM DaSILVA See NEC, pg. 4