Improve early detection, intervention, and outcomes for people with chronic diseases, specifically mental health and addictions

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This indicator is about increasing overall access to community mental health and addictions (MHA) services and measures the number of individuals for whom the emergency department was the first point of contact for MHA care.

When access to timely community-based mental health assessment and treatment is insufficient, people who require services may use the emergency department as their first point of contact. Therefore, a high rate of use of the emergency department as a first point of contact for MHA care may indicate inadequate access to outpatient physician- and community-based care.

Key Resources

Excellence through Quality Improvement Project (E-QIP) – Improving access to community MHA services
Ontario Health’s quality standards

To stay updated about new programs, tools, and services, Ontario Health Teams (OHTs) are encouraged to sign up for the MHA Centre of Excellence (CoE) webinars. Please contact the MHA CoE at MHACoE@OntarioHealth.ca to join the mailing list.

Change Ideas

Support early recognition of patients or clients at risk for emergency department visits

Use community programs and primary care screening to identify patients or clients at risk for crisis to determine and set up appropriate supports
Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) Program – Depression and Anxiety-Related Concerns
“Incidence of access to ambulatory mental health care prior to a psychiatric emergency department visit among adults in Ontario, 2010-2018” (Kurdyak et al, 2021)
Utilize tools that aid in early identification of MHA serious risk symptoms and behaviours and allow timely intervention
Centre for Effective Practice – Keeping Your Patients Safe
Evidence2Practice Ontario – Digital assessment tools for anxiety disorders and depression in adults (acute care and primary care)

Provide education, training, and guidance to health care providers

Provide general education, training, and clinical guidance to providers on early recognition of imminent mental health risks and actions to take
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – Continuing Education Programs and Courses
Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario – Mental Health and Addiction Initiative Knowledge Institute on Child and Youth Mental Health and Addictions – Resource hub

Improve access to complex and crisis care

Seek out and establish partnerships in the community to provide increased access to complex and crisis mental health care (e.g., ride-along services, mobile crisis units, drop-in services, navigation services like OntarioConnex, Health811)
“Mental health services in Canada: barriers and cost-effective solutions to increase access” (Moroz et al, 2020)
AccessMHA (Eastern Ontario)
Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario
Health811 – Find mental health support