Ontarians are raising their voices in support of mental health and addictions care.
More than 5,600 Ontarians have added their name to a petition calling for mental health and addictions care to receive equal funding to physical care. The petition is part of the Erase the Difference campaign, spearheaded by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division. It’s been launched in the lead up to the June 7th provincial election.
Mental health and addictions services in Ontario remain chronically underfunded compared to other parts of the health system. Without regular and ongoing investment into the system, people coming forward to seek help can end up languishing while they wait for service.
Ontario currently devotes $3.5 billion of a total $54-billion health budget to mental health and addictions. This means that the mental health and addictions share of the health budget is 6.5 per cent. In 1979, it was 11.3 per cent.
Join thousands of Ontarians in letting provincial candidates know that it’s time to #erasethedifference and fund mental health and addictions care the same as physical health care. Visit erasethedifference.ca and sign the petition.