Collaborative Care for Mental Health and Addictions

The current provincial government, since their election in the spring of 2018, has pledged considerable funding towards expanding and improving mental health care in Ontario. However, the critical role of community-based primary health care teams in providing this care has not been recognized. There is a significant risk that this work will be under-resourced and that, as a result, the clinically and socially vulnerable people served by these teams will experience unnecessary harms. This discussion paper describes a research program that is helping us better understand:

• How primary health care teams contribute to mental health and addictions care.
• Best practices for partnership and collaboration in delivering community-based care for mental health & addictions.
• Resources and supports needed to expand the work of primary health care teams in this area.
• The potential for meaningful leadership from community-based primary health care organizations.