This is not my usual sort of blog post, but I thought the example of writing a letter to government might be helpful in encouraging others to engage as well.
As many of you know, the South Island Eating Disorder Program in Victoria, B.C. has recently limited outpatient services for adult clients struggling with eating disorders and stopped accepting all non-emergency referrals. Vancouver Island Voices for Eating Disorders, a non-profit organization I helped to found and am actively involved with, has launched a response to these changes and we continue to advocate for those struggling in our community. Our latest effort comes in the form of a letter-writing campaign to local MLAs, the Minister of Health (Adrian Dix), the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions (Sheila Malcolmson), as well as the Minister for Child and Family Development (Mitzi Dean). If you would like to learn about the actions we (VIVED) are taking, you can visit our website or follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
Under our "projects" page on our website, we have instructions on how to e-mail your MLA and the appropriate Ministers about your concerns (whether you are a person in our community with an eating disorder, a family member, etc.) People who do not live in the South Island region are also encouraged to write a letter to the the Minister of Health (MoH), Minister of Mental Health and Addictions (MoMHA), and the Minister of Child and Family Development (MCFD).
Eating disorder services in the South Island region are unique in that they are only services for adult clients in B.C. that are under the jurisdiction of MCFD (and not a regional health authority.) This is part of the reason why adult services are not prioritized as MCFD's mandate is to focus on child and youth services. Part of what we are asking for from our representatives is that services be moved under the jurisdiction of the MoH (in this case, through Island Health.)
A fillable template is available on our website. We want to make it as easily accessible as possible to participate in this letter writing campaign, but we do encourage people to use their own words within that template as a collection of voices is far more powerful than a pile of identical letters. Following up until your concerns are addressed is also important. Below is an example of a letter, my own letter to my representatives (I have removed identifiable information for ease of reading and privacy concerns. You can find the contact information for relevant ministers on VIVED's website).
Saturday, December 18, 2021
Dear Minister,
Standing Up for Adult Eating Disorder Patients in the South Island Region
I am writing to you as my MLA to express my concern regarding the recent service cuts for adult patients of the South Island Eating Disorder Program (SI EDP) located in Victoria, B.C. As of November 2021, there are no further intakes for adults seeking help, some existing clients will see their services terminate, and others will receive extremely limited monthly contact with the SI EDP.
The SI EDP has been gradually limiting access to individualized services over the past few years, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, the South Island program is experiencing a dramatic jump in demand for services with no ability to provide it. The program is severely under-funded, under-staffed, and their resources are stretched beyond capacity. As a result, what little resources exist, have been prioritized for children and youth.
As an individual who has relied on the SI EDP for support in my recovery journey and an advocate for those struggling with eating disorders in my community, I am very concerned about these service cuts. Over the past few years, the clinic has been steadily decreasing services offered to adult clients, not based on evidence, rather due to lack of funding, an increasing number of referrals, and staffing issues. When I first received support through the clinic, I was able to access individual psychiatry and dietetic appointments, as well as group options. These were instrumental in supporting my ability to continue participating in my life, through work and school.
Adults have different needs than youth, but they are no less capable of recovery. Cutting outpatient services does not save money in the end, it simply shifts where the costs will occur. With lack of upstream, community-based support, provincial eating disorder programs will see a rise in referrals and hospitals will see an increasing number of eating disorder patients requiring acute care support (due to psychiatric and physical instability.) As more adults are unable to receive treatment that supports them to engage in their day-to-day lives – family, work, school – disability costs will rise.
(CW) In terms of my own life, I am nurse who is currently unable to work in a time when I am most needed. I am living on disability, watching my colleagues burn out, while I am unable to help them during this pandemic. I have been fighting tirelessly for support to help me return to work. I sought support early on, when I could tell that my depression was worsening, and this was affecting my eating disorder. It took over a year to receive help and by that point I was so far gone that I attempted to end my life. I worked in the early stages of COVID-19 hitting our hospitals and it broke me when I was already struggling. I am still climbing my way out of the hole that last year carved in my life. It does not have to be this way and it should not be this way. If I could have received support that matched my needs, I might have been able to turn things around in my life before I hit rock bottom. This would have been very helpful to me, and it also would have been a far more cost-effective approach than being in and out of hospital over the last year – a nurse who is taking up a bed as a patient.
I have been incredibly fortunate while others have faced far more challenge in accessing help. I am incredibly concerned for those who do not know how to navigate this system (even I struggle to understand the convoluted path of who is responsible for what, what services are still active or not in place anymore, and so on, when it comes to eating disorder services in B.C.) The tireless staff who work at the SI EDP are doing everything they can to try and ethically support patients, but they simply do not have the means to do so, and patients will suffer, even potentially die. This is preventable and I am unwilling to watch this happen. I am unwilling to watch my community suffer; to watch my friends die. Changing this outcome will require the government, individuals such as yourself, to pay attention to what is happening in your community, and to fight for the bare minimum that they deserve. This will not be easy, but it is possible.
Because adult outpatient services for eating disorders are provided through the Ministry of Child Development in the South Island region, the adult population will always struggle to be a priority. Youth and adults have different needs and capacities, but adults are not less capable of change or less deserving of support. These individuals are valuable members of our community, and they deserve support that allows them to participate in society.
Community-based/outpatient treatment has been proven to lead to improved health outcomes, prevent medical admissions and cut long-term healthcare and social assistance costs. Allowing individuals to find the support they need in their own community is critical to sustain recovery and prevent treatment-cycling.
Eating disorders affect people of all ages, races, sexual orientations, genders, socioeconomic statuses, backgrounds, and frequently accompany other co-morbid mental illnesses. Given that eating disorders can lead to significant disability, have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness outside of the opioid crisis, and are the third most common mental illness in Canada, your willingness to act is a vital step towards change.
As my elected representative, I am asking that you do everything you can to support adults struggling in our community. The easiest way to do this is to advocate that adult outpatient funding and services be moved from MCFD’s jurisdiction to Island Health. Other ways to support patients include:
● Increased education and training for healthcare professionals that focuses on eating disorders, weight stigma, cultural competence, harm reduction practices for eating disorders, and trauma-informed care.
● Funding for investments in provincial and community-based services for adults to provide stepped-levels of care to patients and families transitioning in their care needs to avoid cycles of relapse.
● Funding for investment in research for eating disorders to ensure treatment and support options are evidence-based.
I look forward to receiving a response from you about how you are going to address this urgent matter.
Yours sincerely,
- S.
Cc: Hon. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health
Hon. Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions
Hon. Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development
Comments