For immediate release – The following is a statement from Camille Quenneville, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario, in reaction to today’s speech from the throne.
“It was encouraging to hear the throne speech make very clear and specific reference to improving mental health and addictions care for Ontarians. The government promise of historic investment levels gives us hope that our chronically underfunded sector will receive the attention it deserves.
“Ontarians and their families are coming forward now more than ever for help but they’re finding a mental health and addictions system that struggles to keep up with demand for service. That’s because the mental health and addictions system is in crisis. Organizations like ours remain vastly underfunded compared to other parts of the health system.
“For example, Ontario’s overall health budget in 2017 was nearly $54 billion but the mental health and addictions share was 6.5 per cent, or $3.5 billion. This makes no sense when you consider that the burden of mental illness is 1.5 times that of all cancers combined and more than seven times of all infectious diseases.”
– Camille Quenneville, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
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To arrange an interview, please contact:
Joe Kim
Director, Communications
Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
416-977-5580 ext. 4141
jkim@ontario.cmha.ca