May 7-12, 2007, is Mental Health Week in Ontario.
London, Kingston and Thunder Bay will be the sites of public
forums this week that will draw attention to the serious problems facing
community-based mental health programs.
In 2006 the Ministry of Health commissioned a report by the
Deloitte consulting group that revealed two-thirds of the 21 mental health
programs in Ontario had trouble discharging patients due to a shortage of
supportive housing and specialized treatment programs in the community.
Community-based mental health services promise to be a key issue
in the October 10 provincial election.
OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas will be a panelist at all
three events.
“We know what it takes to make mental health services work. The
government needs to freeze the downloading of beds and services until we have
supportive housing in place, community treatment programs, and a highly skilled
professional workforce in the community,” said Thomas.
OPSEU represents approximately 5,600 mental health care
professionals who have experienced first hand the problems associated with
downloading.
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