BUILD

We are building support for a stronger mental health and addiction system, redeveloping our outdated hospital facilities for patients, expanding our partnerships and building our community. For CAMH, 2010 was a breakthrough year.

Building a mental health and addiction system that works

As the largest mental health and addiction facility in the country—and with a mandate to serve the entire province—CAMH has a leadership role to play in improving the system.

Working collaboratively with all our stakeholders—the provincial government, the Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), our community partners and consumers—our goal is to build an integrated continuum of services that is accessible to all. This year there were numerous breakthroughs.

The province announced a Narcotics Strategy to address what CAMH research has shown to be the growing misuse of prescription opioids. Helping prescribing professionals to make good decisions is an important step, and the minister pointed to CAMH’s provincial resource: the Addiction Clinical Consultation Service. CAMH will play an important role in shaping the new strategy by contributing expertise in research, education and evaluation.

The Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions released its final report containing recommendations for a provincial mental health and addictions strategy. For the first time, members from all three provincial parties worked together for our cause, focusing on the key issues of children and youth, supportive housing and justice system change.