FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 7, 2019
Ontario Adding More Mental Health and Addiction Services in Communities Across the Province
QUEENS PARK — Ontario’s mental health care system is disconnected, making it difficult for patients and families to get the care and services they need. This leaves many vulnerable Ontarians to navigate a confusing system on their own and access timely mental health care only when in crisis. Too many Ontarians wait too long for the mental health and addictions services they need. This fragmented approach to care is failing Ontario’s families and is simply not good enough.
In response, Ontario’s government is adding desperately needed mental health and addictions services on the ground, in schools, communities and health centres across the province. MPP Will Bouma announced an additional investment of $1,464,374.00 this year to support people, families and caregivers in Brantford-Brant living with mental health and addictions challenges.
“These investments are part of our government’s commitment to invest $3.8 billion over the next 10 years to develop and implement a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions strategy,” MPP Bouma stated. “Together, we 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.”
This is part of the additional $174 million in funding to address the critical gaps in Ontario’s system and to support patients and families living with mental health and addictions challenges. To ensure mental health and addiction service providers have stable, long-term funding, the government will be making this additional funding available every year.
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.
“Our government is keeping our promise to make mental health and addictions a priority,” said Bouma. “This additional funding will go directly towards services for patients and families and help reduce wait times, enhance opioids and addictions services, 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.”
• Brant Community Healthcare System – $70,761 for: Opioids Addictions Treatment and Services • Grand River Community Health Centre – $205,517 for: Opioids Addictions Treatment and Services • Canadian Mental Health Association, Brant Haldimand Norfolk – $1,015,941 for: Opioids Addictions Treatment and Services, Safe Beds, Mental Health Court Support Workers, Addictions and Withdrawal Management for Safe beds, Funding Increase for the Rent Supplement Supportive Housing Program • St. Leonard’s Community Services Inc.- $163,722 for: Opioids Addictions Treatment & Services and Funding Increase for the Rent Supplement Supportive Housing Program • Participation House Brantford- $8,433 for: Funding Increase for the Rent Supplement Supportive Housing Program
QUICK FACTS • Investments in mental health and addictions services is part of Ontario’s plan to modernize our public health care system, which relentlessly focuses on patient experience and better connected care, to reduce wait times and end hallway health care. • The government has held 19 consultations 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 • The government will invest $3.8 billion over 10 years to develop and implement a comprehensive and connected mental health and addictions strategy.
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For more information, contact MPP Will Bouma at 519-759-0361 or will.bouma@pc.ola.org