The Ontario government’s plan to improve mental health services for children and youth is a good strategic investment, as currently four out of five kids do not get the help they need and 70 per cent of adults with mental health problems begin to have difficulties before they reach adulthood. The focus on children and youth in the first three years of the government’s 10-year mental health strategy will make a difference. But action is also required now on mental health services for adults and seniors.

If one in three people got treatment for cancer, no government or health minister would be able to justify such poor performance. This is the situation for mental health care in Ontario and Canada. Countries like the U.K., New Zealand and Sweden spend at least 10 per cent of their health budgets on mental health, while Ontario spends 5.8 per cent. Wait times for community mental health services often exceed a year and there are 3,000 people on the wait list for supportive housing here in Toronto, up from 700 in 2009.

The government’s plan does commit to reducing wait times for mental health services and supports as a long-term goal. The next provincial budget should commit to increasing the mental health share of health spending and set targets to improve access to services for everyone.

Steve Lurie, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association, Toronto Branch

The DeBassige inquest simply confirms what the Select Committee of the Ontario Legislature has found — there is no real mental health system to help the 20 per cent of Ontarians living with mental illness and addiction problems. Only three in 10 people living with mental health and addiction problems get any help at all. Ontario and Canada rank lowest of OECD countries in terms of the amount they spend on mental health services.

Fixing this and implementing the inquest recommendations will cost money. We know what to do and actually have research evidence to prove things like mobile crisis teams work. But the research also demonstrates that there are not enough community services on the ground. Changing this will require a long-term strategy and political will to increase the mental health share of health spending, making use of the $1.5 billion that Ontario will receive in increased federal health transfers between now and 2014 to fund evidence-based services.

Some argue that we can’t afford to make investments at this time and that it will be possible to transform services without new funding. Toronto cannot have police crisis intervention teams in each police division without new funding, nor can we provide supportive housing to the 2,500 people on the wait list without money for rent supplements and supports. Given the agreement of all three political parties on the Select Committee report, the government has no reason to delay releasing its 10-year plan for mental health and addictions along with funding to implement it.

Steve Lurie, Executive Director, 

The report by the Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions is the sixth report the Ontario government has received since 1979 proposing change to the mental health system. All reports have contained visionary rhetoric, but none have led to major change. It is heartening that the committee was able to agree that the mental health system is in crisis and needs fixing as outlined in its report released Thursday. It contains solid and implementable recommendations to fix the system and ensure Ontarians have access to the mental health and addictions services they need.

However, it will take political will and a long-term commitment on the part of the government to change things. It will also take money. While Ontario’s Liberal government increased health funding by $14.5 billion since coming to office, it only added $220 million to mental health spending during the same period even though mental health and addictions problems affect 20 per cent of the population.

The government will need to use some of the $1.95 billion it will be receiving in increased federal transfers between now and 2014 to support the reforms the select committee is suggesting. Today in Toronto there are 2,000 people on the wait list for supportive housing. Without creating additional service capacity for supportive housing, this will not change. Other jurisdictions have had to increase the mental health share of health spending to get change and improve services. Hopefully, when the government releases its 10-year strategy and responds to the committee’s report it will also commit to increasing funding for services.

Steve Lurie, Executive Director, Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch

< http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/853656–next-step-is-funding-for-mental-health >

It was heartening to see Health Minister Deb Matthews commit to improving mental health services in Ontario in response to Carol Goar’s column. The recently released Select Committee report documented major gaps in care, as did the provincial auditor’s report.

Improving access to services requires funding. Mental health spending has been declining as a proportion of health spending. While the Liberals have raised health spending by $11.5 billion since coming to office, they have increased mental health spending by only $220 million, even though mental health problems affect 20 per cent of people each year.

The test of the minister’s new strategy will be to ensure adequate funding to support it. A number of OECD jurisdictions allocate 10 per cent of health spending to mental health. Ontario spends about half that amount. The new policy will need to set a similar goal if services and access are going to improve.

Steve Lurie, CMHA Toronto Branch

< http://www.thestar.com/opinion/article/790114–keeping-poverty-on-the-agenda >