New Mental Health and Addictions Strategy for Ontario

The Ontario government has just released its 10 year strategy for improving support and services for people living with a mental illness or addiction. 

Called "Open Minds, Healthy Minds", the strategy focuses on children and youth in the first three years, with a key goal of reducing waiting times for mental health and addiction services. The government says it will also hire mental health workers for schools, ensure mental health is part of the curriculum and provide training for teachers. Our Stop The Stigam program shows how working directly with students to break the silence around mental illness can help ensure young people get the help they need when they need it. 

In keeping with the Mood Disorders Association's focus on peer support and recovery, the strategy highlights the importance of peer support for parents, family members and adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses. It also focuses on improving mental health in the workplace, something we're doing through our Changing Minds at Work program. 

We applaud the Ontario government for creating such a comprehensive strategy, and look forward to working with the various ministries as the strategy rolls out.