Telecom - Commission Letter addressed to Harpreet S. Kochhar (Public Health Agency of Canada)

Ottawa, 7 April 2022

By Email

Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar
President
Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
130 Colonnade Rd
Ottawa ON K1A 0K9
harpreet.kochhar@phac-aspc.gc.ca

RE: Introduction of a three-digit abbreviated dialing code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services

Dr. Kochhar:

On 3 June 2021, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) initiated Telecom Notice of Consultation (NOC) 2021-191Footnote1 which seeks to establish the need for the implementation of a national three-digit code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services, to identify the existing barriers to the establishment of such a code and, if necessary, to determine how these barriers can be overcome.

In paragraph 9 of NOC 2021-191, the CRTC noted the following jurisdictional parameters:

“Certain matters will not be considered in this proceeding. In particular, given that the Commission does not have jurisdiction over the organizations that would ultimately provide the services that would be accessed using the three-digit code, matters pertaining to the governance and coordination of mental health crisis and suicide prevention organizations and the funding of mental health crisis and suicide prevention services will not be considered in this proceeding.”

For this reason, determinations by PHAC on a number of issues that are beyond the CRTC’s jurisdiction, such as the termination point of calls made to the abbreviated number, the entity(ies) that would manage the number(s) to which calls to the abbreviated number are routed to, as well as the scope of the services being provided, would be helpful to the CRTC in making its determinations. Notably, determinations by PHAC informed by engagement with health and public health partners, including, but not limited to, provincial and territorial governments, suicide prevention stakeholders, and Indigenous organizations, on these points would reduce uncertainty with regards to certain matters examined as part of the CRTC consultation and would help the CRTC in assessing how calls made to such a number would be routed to the most efficient termination point. The receipt of this information by Fall 2022 would assist the CRTC in streamlining the process of establishing deadlines for the implementation of a three-digit code, as well as reduce the risk of delays in implementation.

The CRTC recognizes the importance of PHAC’s staff’s ongoing work in the suicide prevention sphere, particularly in developing and nurturing meaningful connections within this space across the country. PHAC’s role in convening and engaging with health and public health partners, particularly in jurisdictions supporting suicide prevention crisis services, to reach determinations on the matters discussed above would make an important contribution to the process of introducing a three-digit code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention.

Yours sincerely,

Original signed by

Fiona Gilfillan
Executive Director
Telecommunications Sector
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

c.c.:     Candice St-Aubin, Vice-President, Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention Branch, PHAC
Lisanne Legros, Director, Telecommunications Networks Policy, CRTC
Matthew Tošaj, Manager, Telecommunications Networks Policy, CRTC

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