• Ontarians need equitable access to services and supports across the province.
  • Let’s start with children and youth.
  • Housing is critical to recovery.
  • Ontario needs leadership for an effective mental health and addictions

Thank you for supporting the campaign to make mental health and addictions an election priority.  Election results can be viewed on the Elections Ontario website. 

We want to hear from you.  Tell us what you did to make make mental health and addictions an election priority.

Our work does not end here: Please continue to voice your concerns to the elected members of provincial parliament to ensure that mental health and addictions is a government priority. 

The Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Alliance urges all political parties to have a plan of action for addictions and mental health. Get involved to make mental health and addictions a major issue in the 2011 provincial election.

L’Alliance de santé mentale et de toxicomanie de l’Ontario appelle tous les partis politiques à élaborer un plan d’action visant la santé mentale et la toxicomanie. Passez à l’action afin que les soins en santé mentale et en toxicomanie constituent un enjeu électoral aux élections provinciales de 2011 ! 

Alert: The Alliance has updated its platform document with current wait times figures.  A separate document with the current and 12-month average wait times across a variety of mental health and addiction services is now also available. 

Because wait times for services are constantly changing, these documents provide you with the most up-to-date figures to use in your advocacy. For more detailed statistics for your region or LHIN, please contact Connex Ontario.

OUR ENDORSEMENTS

The Royal. Mental Health - Care and Research

“Long wait lists for mental health services should no longer be acceptable. We need to ensure that families and individuals have access to mental health services as we do for physical health”

- George Weber, President and CEO, Royal Ottawa Mental Health Group (Ottawa)

“We know that approximately 70% of people living with mental health concerns experience their first symptoms before the age of 18 years – a time when hundreds of thousands of young Ontarians begin their post-secondary education.  A provincial mental health strategy to support post-secondary student success begins with a partnership between government and service providers who recognize most importantly that a healthy student is a successful student.”

–Chris McGrath, President, Canadian Association of College & University Student Services

Read the full list >>

FAST FACTS…
20% Ontarians who will experience a mental illness or addiction during their lifetime
3% Ontarians who will suffer a severe and persistent disability as a result of their mental illness
70% Adults with a mental health issue who experienced their first symptom before age 18
10% Canadians over 15 who will experience symptoms of drug or alcohol dependence

DID YOU KNOW…?
Access to services and supports depends on where you live in Ontario
$18.54–$124.78 Range of spending per person for community mental health across Ontario’s regions
22–100 days Range of days that children and youth wait for a mental health assessment across Ontario’s regions
Ontario’s children and youth are among those at greatest risk
7 out of 10 Adults with a mental health issue report experiencing their first symptoms before age 18
2,000+ Number of young people who had waited more than 1 year for mental health supports at the end of 2009
3-6
 Number of months that young Ontarians wait for addictions treatment – if it is locally available
Provincial wait times for supportive housing are far too long
267 days Average wait time in 2011 for supportive housing in Ontario – even though it costs far less to provide supportive housing than to provide a shelter bed or hospital care