The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Central Region hopes the province's plan to develop a mental health strategy will lead to increased funding for mental health and addiction services in the province.

The province issued a request for proposals last week for a consultant to develop a strategy on how to enhance both mental health and addictions services in the province, and to integrate the two functions.

"I think this integration of mental health and addiction services is something that's been needed for a number of years," says Jordan Friesen, CMHA Central Region executive director. "(Manitoba) is one of the few provinces in Canada that doesn't integrate these two functions at a provincial level."

In addition to integrating the two services, Friesen hopes an increase in allocated funding to mental health and addictions services will be identified as a need in the strategy.

"I think any consultant will look at the current system in place and understand, in order to affect change, we're going to need more resources to do it," he says. "The recommended level of funding for mental health and addictions services is seven per cent (of the total provincial health budget). In Manitoba, we're around four per cent annually."

"I hope that's a key point of this strategy: More funding is needed."

Exploring ways to improve services in rural Manitoba and dealing with the challenge of delivering services to wide ranging, less densely populated areas, is another focus Friesen points out could be tackled in this strategy.

"We are quite hopeful that CMHA will be a key player at the table," he says. "We have branches all across Manitoba, from Portage la Prairie, to Selkirk, to Thompson."

"I'm certainly hopeful that we will be an organization the province looks to as it's trying to develop this strategy. And I'm hopeful we'll have some input."

Several media reports indicate the development of the strategy will cost about $150,000. Proposals for the project close Feb. 15. It is expected to be prepared by Decemeber 2017.