One of the Ontario government's most significant legislative initiatives - amendments to the Mental Health Act and the Health Care Consent Act - was proclaimed on December 1, 2000.

This legislative reform, known as Bill 68 (Mental Health Legislative Reform), 2000, is part of the government's plan to create a comprehensive, balanced and effective system of mental health services that provides a continuum of community-based, outpatient and inpatient care.

Bill 68is in keeping with the government's commitment to ensure that people with serious mental illness get the treatment they need. The government is committed to providing the most appropriate treatment possible to those with serious mental illness.

The amendments affect several key service providers such as physicians, hospitals, community services, as well as Justices of the Peace, police and rights advisers.

This website is designed to provide information regarding the changes to the law as well as the implications for respective stakeholder roles and responsibilities in implementing the law.

The amendments are the government's response to the voices of families, consumers, inquest juries, health care providers, and police.

• The addition of community treatment order (CTO) provisions.
• The addition of new grounds to the civil commitment criteria. These criteria authorize involuntary examination, assessment and detention at an earlier stage in a person's illness than the existing criteria.

Mental health legislation prior to Bill 68 did not adequately address the issue of community treatment. This means that patients were hospitalized unnecessarily. Under the more flexible amended legislation, they will now have the option of being treated in the community.

The new legislation provides strong rights protections, especially at the community level. The revised Mental Health Act requires that the physician issuing a CTO must be satisfied that the person or substitute decision-maker has consulted a rights adviser. If an incapable person refuses to consult a rights adviser, that person's substitute decision-maker cannot refuse.

Since 1995, the government has reinvested over $263 million in mental health care programs, infrastructure and community-based services to support its mental health reform strategy.

These investments to expand the mental health infrastructure, particularly community-based services, will assist with the implementation of CTOs. As well, reform of the mental health system will ensure that hospital beds are available for the most serious situations involving people with mental illness. As community services continue to be enhanced through system reforms, beds will be available for these circumstances.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care needs your help to ensure that our mental health system continues to provide appropriate care when and where it is needed by patients and consumers and we look forward to working in partnership with you.

This website is part of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's training and education initiative on mental health legislative reform.

To view PDF format files, you need to have Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer.    You can download this free software from the Adobe Web site.

© Queen's Printer for Ontario, 2003  |  Privacy Policy  |  Disclaimers  |   Last Modified :