Approximately one in five Ontarians will experience a mental health and/or addiction problem during their life. Almost everyone knows someone who is affected. The cost to individuals and society is enormous.

To address this issue, David Caplan the former, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, established a Minister’s Advisory Group on Mental Health and Addictions. This Advisory Group will help lay the foundation for a 10-year Strategy on mental health and addictions needs and priorities.

Ontarians from all backgrounds and walks of life are part of this Advisory Group.
More specifically, they include consumers, family members, health care providers and researchers from across the province. The Advisory Group will reflect a range of perspectives, such as children and youth, aboriginal peoples, seniors, women and adults and in the workplace.

The new Strategy will address the factors that contribute to mental illness and addictions. It will focus on people with serious mental health issues, complex substance abuse and problem gambling issues.

While the Strategy will include the wider spectrum of mild and moderate mental illness and addictions, like depression, those living with serious mental illness and addictions will remain a priority. 

The goal of the strategy is to ensure that every Ontarian achieves optimal health and well-being.  And for those who need it, the system will ensure equitable access to respectful, effective services.

• What we’re doing
• System Design
• Health Communities
• Consumers Partnerships
• Early Identification and Intervention
• Strengthening the Workforce
• Getting Involved

What we’re doing

The Advisory Group has identified two main themes :

1. How to redesign mental health and addictions services including family care, community and hospital care to best meet the needs of individuals;
2. How to create the necessary conditions in communities to reach optimal mental health and well-being.

Over the coming months, the Advisory Group will focus on five topics to help shape a 10-year Strategy:

1. System Design
2. Health Communities
3. Consumers Partnerships
4. Early Identification and Intervention
5. Strengthening the Workforce

Services need to be easier to access in a timely way.  They should be available from family doctors, emergency rooms, “help”/crisis phone lines to schools, social services, police and courts. In other words, any door should lead to service. 

Consumers must be at the heart of both the broader health care system and specialized mental health and addictions services. A consumer focused system is better able to respond quickly and effectively.

We want a system that strives for excellence based on common high standards of care and promotes innovation.

Many factors contribute to overall wellness. We must continue to address misconceptions and the resulting prejudice and discrimination faced by people with mental illness and addictions and their families.  The diverse ethno-cultural background, language and attitudes of Ontarians must also be considered.

Government and its partners must work together to better integrate care of both the mind and body and must do so within the existing basket of social services including justice, supportive housing, education and vocational support.

Consumers of mental health and addictions services need to become involved in creating a system and services that are responsive to them and their families.  The system must also give consumers a formal voice; one that respects their individual capacity and choice to participate.

Intervening early and preventing future episodes can have a profound impact on health and well-being.  Not doing so can harm the socio-economic fabric of our society.

Family physicians need specialized training to assist people at the early stages of illness.  Schools, workplaces and community meeting places offer tremendous opportunities to identify needs and provide appropriate supports to individuals and families.

Front-line service providers are critical to improving the mental health and addictions system.  They need supports to remain in the workforce and we need to encourage more professionals to join. 

Our health care workforce must be trained to continually adopt best-practices and employ new technologies like telemedicine and eHealth.  

Everyone that comes in contact with individuals in crisis, such as police, school principals, emergency room staff, family and friends will need supports to recognize problems and help people get the right services.

By July 2009, the Advisory Group will develop discussion papers that will be available to the public. 

The Advisory Group will welcome written comments and there will also be consultations by Local Health Integration Networks with health care providers, researchers, consumers of mental health and addiction services, family members and the public.  The Advisory Group may also consult directly with provincial mental health and addiction organizations, consumers and family members.

This summer, the Minister will hold a summit to bring together hundreds of Ontarians affected by mental health and addictions issues. Consumers, people working in health care, education, policing, corrections/criminal justice system, housing and community leaders will be invited to participate.

There will other opportunities to share your ideas and experiences, including the showcasing of innovative and effective programs and services at the July Summit. 

For more information or if you have more questions please call 1-866-532-3161; 1-800-387-5559 (TTY) from 8:30am to 5:00pm.  People with personal experience and knowledge can make a tremendous contribution to the Advisory Group’s work.

In the meantime, send us your thoughts (please, keep it to 2 pages) addressing one or both of the following :

1. What needs to be done to make it easier for people to find the right service and supports?
2. Tell us about an experience that you feel is important regarding system design, healthy communities, consumer partnership, early intervention and/or capacity and competency. 

Please send to infoline.moh@ontario.ca, or