Government of Canada and Partners Pave Way for Standardized Mental Health and Substance Use Care

New series of guidance and resources promote equitable access to quality care for all

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 26, 2024 /CNW/ - Everyone in Canada deserves a health system that provides each of us with access to the services we need, when and where we need them. The availability and types of mental health and substance use supports can vary across Canada, which can lead to inconsistencies in quality and accessibility.

To help address this challenge, Health Canada commissioned the Standards Council of Canada to coordinate the development of a series of guidelines and resources to promote better understanding, alignment, and integration among mental health and substance use health care providers throughout the country.

These resources include:

• Guidance document on Integrated Youth Services (IYS)
• Report on the integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care services in primary care settings
• Report on gaps and recommendations related to Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care digital apps
• Report on integrated Mental Health and Substance Use Health Care services for people with complex needs – with a focus on early psychosis intervention
• Publicly available specification to formalize substance use health competencies for all prescribers
• Report on gaps and opportunities for improving substance use health-related withdrawal management services

This work can inform better care for people across Canada by promoting evidence-based approaches across key mental health and substance use health issues. Recognizing that the delivery of health care is primarily the responsibility of provinces and territories, this work offers mental health and substance use health care providers a collection of principles, guidance, and best practices that they can refer to, learn from, and put into action.

It will also help guide federal actions in support of positive mental health and substance use health in the future; reduce barriers to care; and address limited front-line workforce capacity.

Hundreds of Canadians contributed their energy and expertise to this initiative, including people with lived and living experience, Indigenous peoples, clinical experts, service providers, community organizations, family and peer advocates, academics, and more. Health Canada would like to thank everyone who contributed to this important body of work with a special acknowledgement to the Co-Chairs of the Steering Committee, Dr. Carol Hopkins and Dr. Brian Rush, for their leadership and wisdom, which guided this process. 

Quotes

"Canadians deserve a health system they can depend on and that provides access to quality and consistent mental health and substance use supports that meet their needs. Today, by publishing this series of guidelines and resources, we have taken an important step towards developing national standards to help to make excellent and equitable mental health and substance use health care the norm all across the country."

The Honourable Ya'ara Saks
Associate Minister of Health and Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

"We are pleased to have worked with Health Canada to advance the development of these standards-based solutions to improve the delivery of mental health and substance use services. Standards and conformity assessment work behind the scenes to make life safer, healthier, and more sustainable for Canadians and around the world. They are powerful tools that can help address challenges from the interoperability of technology to the delivery of services. These standards-based solutions offer a foundation for mental health and substance use services to ensure that people across Canada can access quality services in their time of need."

Chantal Guay
Chief Executive Officer of the Standards Council of Canada

Quick Facts

• The following organizations led the development of the resources and guidance, with oversight by the Standards Council of Canada: Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Canadian Standards Association, Homewood Research Institute, Foundry.
• The Government of Canada supports both public health and public safety efforts to address substance use and the overdose crisis. This includes connecting people to evidence-based services, including prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and enforcement.
• The resources and guidance released today complement Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)-led initiatives, including research activities and three funding opportunities to inform the development of national standards, representing approximately $6.4 million.
• The Government of Canada, through its Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan, is investing close to $200 billion over 10 years to improve health services across the country. This includes $46.2 billion in new funding for provinces and territories. Within this funding, $25 billion is for tailored bilateral agreements with provinces and territories to support work within shared priority areas including increasing access to mental health and substance use supports.
• In May 2024, Canada launched its first National Suicide Prevention Action Plan. The Plan builds on the existing Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention and the momentum and collaboration from the launch of the 9-8-8: Suicide Crisis Helpline. If you are thinking about suicide or worried that someone you know may be thinking about suicide, you can call or text 9-8-8 for support in English or French, 24/7/365.

Associated Links

• SCC: Health and well-being

SOURCE Health Canada (HC)

Contacts: Yuval Daniel, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, 819-360-6927; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries, 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709