The North East Mental Health Implementation Task Force (MHITF) is pleased to present this final report, The Time for Change is Now : Building a Sustainable System of Care for People with Mental Illness and Their Families in the Northeast Region. Building on the work of hundreds of people over the last twenty years, the report presents a comprehensive plan for redevelopment of adult mental services. Redevelopment is necessary so as to bring together all services and supports into a continuum of care for people who have mental illnesses, and for their families and caregivers.

Implementation of Ontario's mental health policy calls for a fundamental shift to supporting people in their communities and assisting them with their recovery from mental illness. Putting the person at the center of the system means that services must focus on meeting needs directly so that personal recovery goals are defined and achieved. Embracing best practices of multidisciplinary teams and shared care models will see people having their needs met in a timely fashion, as close to home as possible, by the appropriate mix of providers, in the least intrusive way. Most critical is development of an individualized assessment function within the new system so that people's mental health problems and needs are determined early and efficiently, thereby increasingly the effectiveness of treatments and interventions, and fostering recovery in a supportive and respectful manner.

December 2002