Leaders in the mental health and addiction sector respond to Ontario’s Fall Economic Statement

Ontario’s leading mental health organizations including Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, the Canadian Mental Health Association-Ontario Division, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Children’s Mental Health Ontario, The Royal, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, thank the government for recognizing the need to invest in addressing eating disorders in children and youth as well as expanding services to support the well-being and recovery of frontline health care workers.

We would also like to recognize the much-needed investments across the health care system such as long-term care, hospitals and home care.

Almost 74 per cent of Ontarians have reported experiencing mental health and addiction challenges, with the pandemic taking a devastating toll on front line health care workers, including mental health and addiction workers.

We look forward to continuing the sector engagement from the last few months and working with government on prioritizing reducing wait times for services, developing and investing in an implementation plan for the Roadmap to Wellness and urgently responding to the escalating overdose crisis and the rise in deaths due to overdose. The additional support in these areas is appreciated but still doesn’t go far enough.

The COVID-19 recovery plan requires concrete and strategic investments to address the mental health and addiction crisis. Collaboration between government, system partners, experts and persons with lived and living experiences will ensure the coordinated delivery of the equitable, accessible, and high-quality mental health and addiction services that Ontarians deserve.