Ontario to add more mental health and addiction services in its communities

#OntarioMentalhealthCareSystem;  #endingHallwayHealthcare

Ottawa, May 6 (Canadian-Media): In response to Ontario's mental health care system being disconnected, making it difficult for patients and families to get the care and services they need, Ontario's  government for the people will invest $3.8 billion over 10 years to develop and implement a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions strategy to help vulnerable Ontarians to access timely mental health and addictions services they need without having to wait too long and end hallway health care. media reports said.

Christine Elliott. Image credit: Twitter handle

19 consultations were held by the government across the province with mental health and addictions community organizations, frontline service providers, hospitals, advocates, experts, people with lived experience and people with experience in Indigenous mental health and addictions.

A joint announcement was made today by Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and by cabinet colleagues at CMHA's Toronto's Routes Community Centre of an additional $174 million available every year to ensure mental health and addiction service providers have stable, long-term funding.

"Our government is keeping our promise to make mental health and addictions a priority," said Elliott. "That's why we're taking a cross-government approach to solving Ontario's mental health and addictions challenges...create additional housing, build capacity in child and youth mental health, support our men and women in uniform and add services for seniors, Francophones and Ontario's Indigenous people."

LIVE: Christine Elliott, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, makes an announcement about mental health.
https://t.co/XwOXWuja4E

— Christine Elliott (@celliottability) May 6, 2019

This year's additional mental health and addiction funding will includes providing children and youth with earlier and faster mental health and addictions help at schools and in the community; more housing support homeless people with mental health and addictions issues; new mobile crisis teams to help police officers and other first responders manage sensitive situations when assisting severely mentally ill people; and faster access to addictions treatment for all Ontarians.

Included in the overall investment of $174 million is nearly $30 million for child and youth mental health services and programs across Ontario, as well as more than $27 million to fund mental health supports in Ontario's education system, which will directly benefit schools, teachers and, most importantly, students and their parents.

"These investments are part of our government's commitment to invest $3.8 billion over the next 10 years...will create a connected system of care with comprehensive wrap-around services to ensure that every Ontarian is fully supported in their journey toward mental wellness, said Elliott."