Toronto, May 15, 2025 — Addictions and Mental Health Ontario (AMHO) is pleased to see the Ontario government recognize the urgency of investing in community mental health and addictions care in the 2025 Ontario Budget.
The Ontario government’s commitment to invest $303 million over the next three years in the community mental health and addictions sector will be felt across the health care system. This multi-year funding commitment will help to alleviate some of the rising operating pressures of a system under strain, bringing much needed stability and predictability to the people and programs that help Ontarians be well.
“We want to thank the Ontario government for listening to our sector and taking meaningful action to help stabilize the model of community mental health and addictions care,” said Jennifer Holmes Weier, CEO of Addictions and Mental Health Ontario. “This investment sends a positive message to our service providers and our workforce that their work is an important part of Ontario’s health care continuum.”
Today’s news follows months of advocacy from AMHO, our members, and our partners in community health, sharing the challenges of a system and workforce under stress. Without a meaningful increase in operating funding, many community mental health and addictions organizations would have struggled to deal with climbing employee turnover, service reductions, difficulty recruiting skilled staff, and budget shortfalls.
“We are grateful to our members for their continued advocacy, and for sharing the realities of delivering care in their communities,” added Holmes Weier. “We look forward to continuing our work together with our partners in government to ensure this investment is implemented effectively in support of positive health and wellness outcomes across the province.”
In February 2025, AMHO released its pre-budget submission, From Crisis to Care, calling for urgent investments to help address the community mental health and addictions sector’s health human resources crisis and supportive housing needs.
AMHO looks forward to continuing our work with our partners in government to ensure all Ontarians have access to the mental health and addictions care they need, where and when they need it.
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Media Contact:
David Turnbull
Director, Communications and Public Affairs
david.turnbull@amho.ca | 416-729-2031