CURRENT POLICY PRIORITIES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA

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CURRENT POLICY PRIORITIES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND
MENTAL ILLNESS IN CANADA

• IS THERE A WINNING STRATEGY?

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Snakes and Ladders

• Using the CAMIMH national action plan as our
  strategy in mastering the real life challenges of
  meeting the needs of Canadians with mental
  illness
• Developing policies that work in the complex,
  tightly coupled system that is health care

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A Call for Action Building Consensus for a
National Action Plan on Mental Illness and Mental
Health

• Public Education and Awareness
• National Policy Framework
• Research
• National Data/ Information System

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Public Education and Awareness

• Reduce the stigma associated with mental
  illnesses in Canadian society
• Increase public knowledge and awareness about
  effective practices in the fields of mental
  illness and mental health

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National Policy Framework

• Legislative /Policy Initiatives Ensure that the
  impact on mental illness and mental health is
  considered in the development and implementation
  of every federal policy and legislative
  initiative.

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National Policy Framework

• National Guidelines, Benchmarks and
  Accountability Establish and adopt national
  guidelines or benchmarks for key outcome areas of
  a desired mental health system and for mental
  health promotion.

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National Policy Framework

• Integration and collaboration Develop
  collaborative and cooperative partnerships that
  will enhance systems of care and mental health
  promotion opportunities.

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National Policy Framework

• Consumer and Family Participation - Strengthen
  consumer and family participation in national
  policy development affecting mental illness
  services and supports as well as mental health
  promotion

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National Policy Framework

• Promotion of Self-Help The federal government
  recognizes consumer and family self-help as a
  significant and vital mental health resource.

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National Policy Framework

• Innovative Models of Service Delivery Encourage
  and facilitate the piloting , testing and
  dissemination of information about new and
  innovative models of delivering mental
  illness/health services based on effective
  practices.

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National Policy Framework

• Human Resource Develop a national mental
  illness and mental health human resource plan to
  the year 2005.

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Research

• Establish and support a national research agenda.
  
• Establish and implement a public education and
  awareness strategy to support comprehensive and
  sufficient research funding and value research.

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Research

• Strengthen the voluntary fundraising sector so
  that it demonstrates a unified commitment and
  enhanced support for mental illness/health
  research.
• Increase the cadres of new mental illness and
  mental health researchers.

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Research

• Create a more supportive environment for Canadian
  researchers in mental illness and mental health
  research.
• Ensure that mental illness and mental health
  research informs policy development in all areas
  of health.

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Research

• Increase the involvement of consumers, other
  stakeholders and their organizations and the
  voluntary sector in the development,
  implementation and dissemination of the knowledge
  acquired through enhanced mental illness and
  mental health research

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National Data /Information System

• Create a national public health surveillance and
  reporting program in collaboration with other
  stakeholders, including the Laboratory Centre fro
  Disease Control (LCDC) now called the Centre for
  Chronic Disease Prevention and Control of Health
  Canada.

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Snakes and Ladders

• Early psychosis intervention
• Supported employment programs
• Comprehensive drug coverage
• Affordable housing choices
• Mental health courts

• Dual diagnosis programs
• Active rehabilitation
• Self Help
• Family support and educaton
• Clubhouse
• Rural outreach
• Crisis intervention

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Snakes and Ladders

• Access to primary care
• Adequate income
• Home support
• Transportation
• Telemental health
• Assertive community treatment teams
• Mobile crisis service

• Timely access to inpatient services
• Comprehensive electronic clinical record
• Recreation and social opportunities
• Healthy diet

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More Snakes than Ladders

• Discriminatory housing practices
• Inadequate social assistance
• Prejudice
• Refusal of insurance
• Homelessness
• Violence

• Poor physical health
• Shame
• Lack of friends
• Loss of family connection
• Criminalization
• Systems not accomodating for disability

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Snakes and Ladders

• Waiting lists
• No beds
• Mental Health Act
• Competency
• Guardianship
• Disability tax credit
• Adult education

• Technological advances
• Direct to consumer advertising
• Territorial disputes and rivalries
• Treating healthcare as a commodity

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Enough Talk, Lets Play !