improve the lives of all Ontarians
Asking for help isn’t easy, receiving help should be. While more Ontarians than ever before are seeking help for their mental health and addictions challenges, thousands are left waiting weeks – if not months – to access care. The more Ontario’s waitlists grow, the more people are deterred from seeking help. Long-term investments which support the growth and expansion of community mental health and addictions services, and the workforce responsible for the delivery of those services, are the best way to meet the increasing needs of Ontario’s diverse and growing communities.
While the compassionate and dedicated members of our workforce are efficient with the limited resources they have, budget constraints and increasing demands have made the provision of high-quality care more difficult. New investments are needed to help Ontario tackle rising waitlists, reduce strain on municipal and emergency services, and prevent a further erosion of the mental health and addictions workforce – all of which are leading to worsening mental and substance use health outcomes for Ontarians.
AMHO's Recommendations
From Crisis to Care
Better health and wellness outcomes are possible. Investments in community mental health and addictions service providers are an effective way to support the transition of Ontarians from crisis to care.
As Ontario approaches an election on February 27th, 2025, we have an opportunity to invest in the people and programs that help our communities be well. Together we can decrease waitlists, address widening wage gaps in our workforce, create new supportive housing, and increase access to lifechanging community mental health and addictions care.
To learn more about AMHO’s plan, you can also download our 2025 pre-budget submission below.
2025 AMHO pre-budget submission