Ontario Highlights Innovative Child and Youth Mental Health Service

Province Showcasing Tele-Mental Health Service
in National Podcast Series 

TORONTO — Today, Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, issued the following statement on Ontario’s participation in a 13-part podcast series featuring promising practices and innovative mental health and addictions programs across Canada.

“Across Ontario, many individuals and families continue to struggle with the impacts of COVID-19 on their mental health. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, more than one million Ontarians experienced a mental health or addiction challenge each year. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new and more complex challenges, including the need for more virtual supports as Ontarians have spent more time at home. Finding effective ways to support the mental health needs of Ontarians and sharing innovative and best practices is a top priority for our government.

To bring more awareness to the important work being done by Ontario’s mental health and addictions professionals, we have released a podcast highlighting Ontario’s Tele-Mental Health Service. This podcast is part of the “Promising Practices” national podcast series, led by Canada’s Premiers through the Council of the Federation, that features Canada’s 13 provinces and territories sharing their knowledge and accomplishments in mental health and addictions services, especially with rural, remote and northern communities.

Ontario’s Tele-Mental Health Service supports children and youth in remote, rural and underserved communities by providing them access to mental health services from local providers who have virtual access to specialized mental health consultation in other parts of the province. These mental health specialists provide support from Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa and the Child and Parent Resource Institute in London. Through this service, children and youth can stay in their communities and safely access services close to home helping to prevent them from escalating into crisis.

This program is showing great results and it’s why we are investing $5.4 million annually to provide thousands of consultations each year. Through our Roadmap to Wellness, we will continue making the necessary investments to ensure Ontarians have access to effective, innovative and safe mental health and addictions supports, when and where they need them.

Together, let’s continue to innovate and collaborate with our provinces and territories to support people in their communities, including those in rural, remote and northern communities.”