Moving On Mental Health: Asystemthatmakessense forchildrenandyouth

Introduction

Moving On Mental Health: Asystemthatmakessenseforchildrenandyouth 1

Everychildandyoungpersondeservessupporttoreachtheirfullpotential–and

ourcommunitiesandourprovinceneedthemtorealizethatpotential.Childrenand

youngpeopledeserveamentalhealthsystemthatdeliversservicesandsupportsthat

respondquicklyandcomprehensivelytotheirneeds,asclosetohomeaspossible.

Yettoday,oneinfiveyoungpeopleisbattlingamentalhealthissue,and70per

centofallmentalhealthandaddictionsissuesbegininchildhoodandadolescence.

ThatiswhyOntariolaunchedtheComprehensiveMentalHealthandAddictions

Strategy,focusingonchildrenandyouthfirst.

TheMinistriesofChildrenandYouthServices,Education,HealthandLong-Term

Care,andTraining,CollegesandUniversitiesareworkinginpartnershipto

implementthestrategyandachieveitsgoals:toimproveaccesstohighquality

mentalhealthandaddictionsservices,strengthenworkercapacity,createa

responsiveandintegratedsystemandbuildawarenessandcapacityaboutmental

healthissueswithincommunities.

Inspiteofdifficulteconomiccircumstancesandenormousfiscalchallenges,

newfundingisreducingwaittimesformentalhealthservices,ensuringearlier

identificationandfastaccesstotherightservices.

Oneyearintothestrategy,wehave600newmentalhealthworkersontheground

inschools,communitiesandyouthcourts,andweareprovidingservicestoan

estimated20,000morekidsandtheirfamilies.

Itisastrongbeginning.It’smakingadifference–butthereismoretodo.

Thegovernment’simmediateprioritiesare:todelivermoreservicesandtohelp

childrenandyouthgettheservicestheyneedfaster.Overthenextthreeyears,

thegovernmentisbuildingonitsinvestments,whichprovidemore

directservicesincommunities,andfundamentallychangingthe

systemitself.Thiswilltransformtheexperienceofchildren,youth

andfamiliesbycreatingthebestservicesystemtosupportchildren

andyouthwithmentalhealthneedsandmakethemostofour

investmentsnow–andinthefuture.Theresultwillbeachildand

youthmentalhealthsystemthatmakessensetofamilies,andis

coherenttoteachers,doctorsandallthosewhoworkwithfamilies

tofindhelp.

Ouractionplan,Moving on Mental Health: A system that makes sense for children and youth,willgetusthere.

Why does our system need to change?

Parentshaveconsistentlyreportedthatfindingtherightservicesandsupport

isconfusing.Teachers,familydoctorsandotherswhohelpchildrenalsofind

oursystemchallenging,andthispreventsyoungpeoplefromgettingthehelp

theyneed.

Thisisaproblemwearedeterminedtofix.

WeenvisionaverydifferentexperienceforOntario’syoungpeopleandtheir

familieswhoseektreatmentsandsupportfortheirmentalhealthproblems.

TheMoving On Mental Healthactionplanwilltransformthesystemoverthe

nextthreeyears,so:

• Parentswillknowwheretogoforhelp,andknowhowtogetservicesquickly.

• Fundingwillreflecteachcommunity’scurrentandfutureneeds.

• AllOntarianswillknowhowwellthesystemisworking.

Ourgoalistodeliveracoordinated,responsivesystemthatmakessenseto

parentsandyoungpeople,thatiseasytonavigate,thatenablesfastanswersand

clearpathwaystocare.Mostimportantofall–thesystemmustdeliverearlyand

appropriatehelpforeachchildandyouthwhoneedsit.

Moving On Mental Health: Asystemthatmakessenseforchildrenandyouth 2

Specifically,theMoving On Mental Health actionplanwilltransformtheexperience

offamiliesseekinghelpby:

• Creating and supporting pathways to care–Clearandstreamlinedpathways

tocarebetweenprimarycare,schoolsandcommunity-basedsupportsand

serviceswillhelpchildrenandyouthmovingthroughandacrosstheservice

systemknowwhattoexpectalongtheway.Sharingthisresponsibility

acrosssectorsrequiresgreaterclarityabouttherolesofallthosewhohelp

supportchildrenandyouth:education,primarycare,childwelfareandothers.

• Defining core services–Therearecorementalhealthservicesthatwillbe

availableincommunitiesacrossOntario,withotherspecializedservicesavailable

regionallyorprovincially.Definingcoreserviceswillmakeoursystemmore

transparenttoparentsandyoungpeople,aswellasthosewhohelpfamilies

findtheservicestheyneed.

Supportingthesecoreelementsarechangesthatwillhelpusbuildastronger,more

coherentandaccountablesystemofcare:

The plan

• Establishing community lead agencies–Lead

agenciesacrossOntariowillberesponsiblefor

providingcoreservicesandcollaboratingeffectively

withotherservicesthatplayaroleinyoungpeoples’

lives,suchasschools,hospitals,thoseworkingin

primarycareandchildwelfareauthorities.Parentswill

onlytelltheirstoryonce.

• Creating a new funding model–Thenewfunding

modelwillrecognizeindividualcommunitypopulation

andneed,soagenciescanrespondeffectivelytolocal

demands.

• Building a legislative and regulatory framework–

Aframeworkwillenshrinetheaccountabilityoflead

community-basedmentalhealthagenciessothatall

areheldtothesamestandardofcare,regardlessof

wheretheyarelocatedintheprovince.

Jane* had problems with anxiety and confrontation, missed a lot of school over two years and attempted suicide twice. She was identified through a special program at her local mental health agency, funded through Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy. Jane worked with a counsellor, her teachers, principal and family to overcome her mental health challenges. Today, she is back in school full time, is vice-president of the student council and is excited about her future.

*not real name.

Moving On Mental Health: Asystemthatmakessenseforchildrenandyouth 3

FullimplementationoftheMoving On Mental Healthactionplanwilltakeabout

threeyears.Changewillbedeliberate,methodical,anddetermined.Theplan

benefitedfromextensiveconsultationwithparents,youngpeople,serviceproviders

andsystemexperts.implementationwillalsobeguidedbyadvisorygroups,sothat

parents,youthandserviceprovidershavetheopportunitytoprovideadviceand

feedbackalongtheway.

ItisanexcitingtimeforOntario’schildandyouthmental

healthsector.Thanks,inlargepart,toallourpartners,we

havealreadyseenpositivechangethathasimprovedand

expandedmentalhealthsupportsforOntariofamilies.Itis

importantthatwecontinueourworktogethertobuilda

strongersystemthatiscoherent,openandwelcoming,and

accessible.Parentsmusthaveconfidencethattheirchildren

arewell-served,andyoungpeoplemustbegiventhe

supportstheyneedtothriveandsucceed.

Moving On Mental Health: Asystemthatmakessenseforchildrenandyouth 4

Ten-year-old Johnny* had severe behavioural problems and was waiting for services for months. New government funding allowed the agency serving Johnny and his family to hire more mental health workers. They helped Johnny get the home-based services he needed. Today, his attitude and outlook both at home and school have improved dramatically, as has his family’s well-being.

*not real name.

TolearnmoreaboutOntario’schildandyouthmentalhealthsystem,visitontario.ca/youthmentalhealth