Ontario invests $2.1 Billion into Mental Health/Addiction Care

Mar 22, 2018 @ 09:06

Yesterday, Premier Kathleen Wynne visited the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto where she announced a four-year investment of $2.1 billion that will reframe the system to deliver more accessible and better-integrated care for the one in three Ontarians who experience mental health or addictions challenges in their lifetime.

This investment is to make it easeir to access services via school, family doctor’s office, or community-based organization. Some features to this plan are:

• Every secondary school will have access to an additional mental health worker.
• An additional 15 youth wellness hubs will be created over then next four years.
• The province will create 2,475 more supportive housing units over four years for those who require care in safe, affordable and appropriate housing
• Access to withdrawal management and residential and community treatment services for young people and adults living with addictions in Ontario will be expanded, including services in every community and support for more programs and services that are culturally appropriate.

The province will invest an additional $570 million over the next four years so that young people can access the supports they need.

These historic investments will help reduce wait lists and make it easier for people to access the care they need when they need it. By 2021, people will also be able to quickly get a mental health and addictions screening, crisis counselling and referral services through whichever method they choose through a new help line — online, by text or on the phone.