Moving forward on mental health and addiction
February 15, 2017
Ontario should focus on promoting, preventing and intervening early, closing critical service gaps, and building foundations for system transformation, according to the second annual report released by the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council.
AMHO, who has a seat at the Council table, endorses these three priority areas and the recommendations contained in the report, titled Moving Forward: Better Mental Health Means Better Health.
The Mental Health and Addictions Leadership
Advisory Council, a twenty-person advisory group composed of representatives from across the mental health and addictions sector, was appointed in 2014 by the Ontario government. The Council’s primary role is to provide implementation advice on Open Minds, Healthy Minds, Ontario’s multi-year, mental health and addictions strategy.
The report highlights progress made since last year’s report in the areas of youth, housing, quality improvement and indigenous partners.
This year’s report makes three key recommendations:
- That the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care work with other ministries and stakeholders to promote, prevent and intervene early across the lifespan.
- That the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care address the chronic gaps in youth addiction, psychotherapy and supportive housing.
- That the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care undertake three critical first steps toward large-scale transformation, leveraging the work of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services in these areas.
AMHO’s pre-budget submissions and presentations encouraged the government to implement the advice from the Council, and we’re pleased that the Minister is supporting some these recommendations by investing in psychotherapy, supportive housing, and youth wellness hubs.
View the Council report here, the news release for the Minister’s recent funding announcement here and AMHO’s budget recommendations here.
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