As published in The Hill Times on October 23rd, 2023

Canadians are suffering, over 70% have reported their mental health has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, 62% of those Canadians reported the inability to access mental health care services due to high costs and scarce resources. This is not new. Prior to the pandemic, of those seeking care (~4.9 million Canadians in 2012 for example), 30% felt their needs were not adequately met.

The emergency room should not and cannot be the first place Canadians seek help for mental illness.

Community mental health organizations live at the heart of all constituencies. They provide low-cost and/or free innovative and essential services, that can be provided throughout the continuum of care, acting as a lifeline of support and continuity of services for countless Canadians who are stuck on waitlists and/or can’t bear the escalating service costs. These community-focused organizations step up, filling the care void by offering crucial resources, programs, services, and coping tools for those seeking mental health support.

The potential of these independent, community-based mental health organizations is vast, yet the resources at their disposal are disproportionate to the magnitude of the responsibility they’ve been dealt.

We, at Mood Disorders Society of Canada, recently met with 48 of these organizations from all provinces and territories to learn about their challenges and hopes for the future. Overwhelmingly they expressed the need to build and strengthen collaboration and partnership with each other to find efficiencies and reduce duplication, so that they can spend less time on paperwork and more time providing services.

Additionally, the importance of collaboration and partnership with other health system players was emphasized. When a person visits a doctor’s office to describe their symptoms, it is often the first time they seek help for a mental health issue. At this point, doctors may not understand what resources are available to them. Through our roundtables and consultations, we have heard many physicians and other healthcare providers are themselves unaware of the programs and resources community organizations offer, and their ability to refer patients to them.

Canadians deserve a health care system that is better integrated – inclusive of these organizations from their communities, giving patients warm hand-offs to support their care before, between, and after appointments – bridging the various piers of care they encounter.

The lack of national coordination, including the need for enhanced system integration with other health professionals and services, the pooling of resources, and community knowledge-sharing, hinders these organizations from effectively reaching all those in need.

The federal government is standing at a pivotal juncture – placing them in a position of considerable strength to be the leading force of change. As the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Ya’ara Saks, assumes her new role, a distinct opportunity presents itself to bridge the gap between an overburdened mental health care system, community mental health resources, and those impacted by mental illness and/or managing mental health challenges.

Mental health doesn’t exist in a silo. It is intertwined with our overall community infrastructure. By strengthening these organizations, we aren’t just uplifting the mental health sector – we are creating a ripple effect that will alleviate the pressure on other pivotal sectors of our health system, including primary care and emergency services.

As the Liberal government reshuffles its deck, the onus is clear: prioritize community mental health. They are a powerful solution in supporting the well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.

About the Mood Disorders Society of Canada:

The Mood Disorders Society of Canada was launched in 2001 to provide people with mood disorders, their families and caregivers a strong, cohesive voice at the national level on issues relating to mental health and mental illness. With particular regard to depression, bipolar disorder and other associated mood disorders, the MDSC aims to improve access to treatment, inform research, shape program development and government policy to improve the quality of life for people affected by mood disorders.

For more information:
info@mdsc.ca
(613) 921-5565
www.mdsc.ca