Welcome to the Mental Health and Addictions Working Group page. We will tell you about why our group was formed, who's involved and what we are working towards.
We know that trying to access to mental health and addictions services can be frustrating and overwhelming. That applies to patients, families and providers. The current system is siloed and not efficient. We are working together to improve this situation and to offer the best care possible.
Seeking Members for the Mental Health and Addictions Lived Experience Advisory Council
Please contact us by email if you have questions or to submit your application.
Current challenges
- Needs for mental health and addictions services in our region are high.
- Access to mental health and addictions services is hard for individuals and their families to navigate.
- Providers need to work together more to be effective and efficient.
Who's involved?
Community members, health-care providers, social service agencies, mental health and addiction organizations, academics and specialists from across the region worked together on those issues.
Community members refers to people with lived experience of mental health and addictions, family, caregivers, Indigenous and/or Francophone representatives, 2SLGBTQ+ and/or others.
View which organizations and FLA OHT partners are in the Working Group.
What we are working towards
Having a connected system of care for mental health and addictions:
- People of all ages from across the FLA region who are in need will have equitable access to mental health and/or addictions services.
- Supports will be provided and care will be seamlessly integrated with other care providers.
- It will be a holistic health care approach.
- Providers will work together on effective and lasting ways to support and serve those in need.
"Shared Care Discussions" project
To help create more connected care for patients and providers, Shared Care Discussions were developed and implemented.
Shared Care Discussions are planned meetings between representatives of primary care providers and mental health and addictions services. Together they review the details of an individual’s situation and identify the most appropriate supports to help them with their care journey.
The goals of these meetings are to:
- discuss specific individual’s needs and;
- develop recommendations and plans of action to address those needs.
Shared Care Discussions are underway in the region.
- Community members with lived experience of mental health and addiction problems were involved in the co-design of this supportive structure.
- A Facilitators Guide to Shared Care Discussions was developed to support these meetings.
- Methods to standardize and evaluate the discussions are in place, including establishing indicators of success and sustainability plans.
Now that the model and direction forward has been established, the larger working group has been dissolved, and a new facilitation group has been formed that meets regularly specific to Shared Care Discussions. Facilitators connect for these discussions, as well as to continue implementation of the model within the FLA OHT region.
Resources
What is a Health Home?
A person's Health Home is their home base for easy access to all the health care and wellness services they need to live their healthiest life.
Help improve the local health-care system
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