A vision for better health

The right care at the right time in the right place. That simple promise—in fact, the first promise we make in our strategic plan, Vision 2020—is at the heart of everything we do at CAMH.

Poor access to care has long been a challenge in the broader mental health care system. The situation is particularly urgent for young people, for whom early intervention can prevent a lifetime of disability. Our community demands—and deserves—faster access to the best care available.

AccessCAMH provides a single front door to all our outpatient services, and is already helping us provide the right care faster for 95 per cent of our patients. Access CAMH is already averaging 1,600 referrals a month.

The success stories are already pouring in.

One mother felt lost in the system as she tried desperately to research her son’s complex mental illness. She called Access CAMH, and connected with a staff person with immediate answers. "It’s great to get a live person to talk to," she told us.

Another man contacted Access CAMH after struggling with addictions for 10 years. He received support, a brief phone screen and an appointment—all in the same call.

We are building care pathways around the clinical and social needs of our patients, ensuring the best care possible for patients with even the most complex illnesses. These Integrated Care Pathways mark an important next step in the evolution of clinical care, providing detailed guidance for each stage of recovery.

Such a detailed plan is already helping treat major depression and alcohol dependence at the same time, and is attracting support from Health Quality Ontario, interest from other health centres, and international attention. Pathways are being developed for other illnesses, and will ensure continuity of care across the province.

And through the Medical Psychiatry Alliance, we’re developing an integrated model of care to address the complete health needs of the more than 1.3 million Ontarians currently suffering from both physical and mental illnesses.

"This Alliance is about putting mental health back into health care," says Dr. Benoit Mulsant, Executive Director of the Alliance and CAMH’s Physician-in-Chief. "We need to create a new model of clinical care that increases the life expectancy of a vulnerable population."

The Alliance, a joint initiative by CAMH, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children and Trillium Health Partners, was created through a landmark $20-million investment from an anonymous donor, $20 million from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, and $20 million from the four founding institutions.

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