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Wait times for Edmonton youth needing mental health services have substantially improved in recent months following the opening of a new health facility in the city’s south side, the Alberta government said Monday.

The Rutherford Mental Health Clinic, on Edmonton’s south side, nearly triples the capacity of specialized clinic-based mental health delivered by Alberta Health Services in Edmonton. It provides a range of programs and services for children and youth ages four to 18.

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The clinic currently has 10 staff members, including five mental health and substance-use therapists, a family counsellor, a youth substance-use counsellor and a child psychiatrist. All of the positions at the clinic are new positions funded by the Alberta government.

Edmonton faced an increased demand for children’s mental health services last year, according to AHS. In addition, staff vacancies and leaves impacted the availability of services and wait times. The percentage of children receiving a mental health appointment within 30 days of referral went from 52 per cent before the clinic opened to 85 per cent, according to AHS data collected as of the end of January 2017.

Brandy Payne, associate minister of health, said this is just the start of improved services.