New program aims to improve mental health care in province

PRISME program to create learning opportunities for family physicians and nurse practitioners

Article content The provincial government and Vitalité Health Network announced a new program Friday intended to improve mental health expertise and improve access to care. The new Program for Regional Interprofessional Specialization in Mental Health and Education (PRISME) was announced Friday in Moncton by Rob McKee, the minister responsible for addictions and mental health services. The province said in a news release that the program will create learning opportunities for family physicians and nurse practitioners while connecting psychiatrists, educators, researchers and learners.

The intent is to improve mental health care with a skilled and integrated workforce. One feature of the program will be a Moncton-based mental health primary care team working alongside psychiatrists. “Three nurse practitioners and one family physician with advanced mental health and addictions training will support patients with moderate needs, provide short-term stabilization, and help ensure psychiatrists can focus on the most complex cases,” the news release said.

“Patients needing brief stabilization will receive short-term support before returning to their primary care provider with clear treatment recommendations and ongoing care plans.” The Moncton team will provide a care setting and a training hub where primary care providers and learners from across the province can receive one-on-one mentorship and practical experience with psychiatric specialists, while also supporting patients in the region. “Equipping primary care providers with strong mental health training helps them meet patients where they are at, and working closely with psychiatry will ensure patients receive co-ordinated, appropriate care across the system,” McKee said in the news release.

“PRISME will help us reduce psychiatry wait-lists and allow psychiatrists to focus their expertise on the most complex patients.” The program will also match patients to care providers. “The demand for mental health services continues to grow, calling for innovative and collaborative solutions,” Dr. France Desrosiers, president and CEO of Vitalité Health Network, said in the news release.

“PRISME positions itself as a concrete and structural response to this challenge. It is a cornerstone of our network’s priorities and will eventually serve as a model that can be exported to other regions.” The initiative was developed in partnership with the Université de Moncton and the Université de Sherbrooke, and will allow participants to receive mental health specialization certifications.

The province said this program aligns with the government’s strategy and efforts to recruit and retain more health care professionals.