NDP’s universal mental health care plan will help Brantford region, says Horwath

BRANTFORD – NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in Brantford Wednesday to talk about how the NDP’s Universal Mental Health Care plan would mean less strain on emergency rooms, and a healthier, happier life for people.
On April 3, Horwath announced the NDP’s universal mental health care plan, which will put counselling and therapy under OHIP and expand publicly funded mental health services.
In the Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant region, more than 60 per cent of the people under 25 who turn to the ER in a mental health crisis had no mental health care in the community before that.
“So many of us are coping with grief, loss and stress as a result of the pandemic. But too many people know they need a therapist, or their child does, and they know they can’t afford it. So they suffer alone, until they’re in crisis and need to go to the emergency room,” said Horwath.
“Mental health care is health care. In Brantford and everywhere in Ontario, you should be getting care with your OHIP card, not your credit card,” said Horwath.
Counselling is the service most commonly needed by people experiencing mental illness or wellbeing challenges. Psychotherapists, psychologists, nurses and social workers can offer therapy, but unless they are part of a family health team it’s not covered by OHIP.
The Doug Ford Conservatives have cut more than $2 billion in planned mental health spending. The previous government of Kathleen Wynne and Steven Del Duca froze mental health funding for youth for more than 10 years. That drove wait lists for publicly funded services to balloon.
The NDP’s Universal Mental Health plan is estimated to cost $1.15 billion when fully implemented.
Horwath also plans to make further commitments to address the opioid and overdose epidemic in the coming weeks.
“Guaranteeing mental health care without cost will relieve pressure on emergency rooms, social services programs and more. But most importantly, it’ll help people live their healthiest, best life,” said Horwath.

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Paul Dinola
“I recently lost my son Aaron to overdose. He was just 32. I can’t continue to watch people be failed by our broken mental health care system the way Aaron was. Change is going to come, together we are always stronger. Seeing a plan to educate health care professionals so that people can get the support they need gives me hope that no other family will have to go through what mine has.”
Background
Universal, Publicly Funded Mental Health Care

Andrea Horwath and the NDP will start by expanding access to counselling and therapy services across the province:

As a first step, the NDP will ensure public access to psychotherapy for everyone.

A Horwath government will introduce a minimum of six sessions for treatment through OHIP, rising to 12 sessions for patients who need it. This approach allows for people to start with six sessions and decide with their care provider to enroll in the second step, or move to more complex care.

The NDP will fund primary care doctors, nurses, community health care workers, and social workers to be trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to increase the number of available, affordable, and culturally appropriate CBT practitioners.

The NDP will focus on expanding the existing Ontario Structured Psychotherapy Program working with existing community-based providers to bring them into the publicly funded system and grow networks of interdisciplinary teams for mental health care.

The Ontario NDP will introduce legislation that recognizes mental health is as important as physical health and ensures that mental health services provided by qualified health care professionals and community health workers are insured through OHIP, whether they are provided in a hospital or community health centre.

Fixing the mental health system

The mental health system is described by advocates as fragmented and disconnected. Vital information, oversight and planning needs to be in place.

The NDP will create Mental Health Ontario, a new co-ordinating organization that will take the lead on identifying and publicly reporting on mental health needs, developing a comprehensive wait list for services, bring in province-wide mental health standards, creating a basket of services, and making sure that mental health and addiction programs are delivered comprehensively across Ontario.

Reduce the wait-list for children’s mental health to 30 days

There are now over 28,000 children and youth waiting for mental health treatment, up from 12,000 in 2017. Children and youth can wait up to 2.5 years for mental health care. The average wait time is two months for counselling and over three months for intensive treatment.

A Horwath government will implement the Make Kids Count Action Plan as laid out by the Children’s Health Coalition. The plan calls for an investment of $130 million over the next three years to build intensive treatment and specialized consultation services, increase access to psychotherapy and counselling, family therapy and supports and to scale 24-hour crisis support services to ensure children and youth experiencing a crisis have an alternative to going to the emergency department.[1]

Supportive Housing

The Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council has recommended that 30,000 new supportive housing units be built over 10 years for people living with mental health and addictions challenges.

In the NDP’s Homes You Can Afford housing plan, Andrea Horwath lays out her plan to deliver these new supportive homes.

Strengthening the sector

An NDP government will provide an immediate eight per cent funding boost for Canadian Mental Health Association branches and provide ongoing sustainable funding. This would equal a $24 million increase in 2022-23.

The NDP will introduce targeted hospital funding to increase the number of Tier 5 treatment beds for people with complex needs. The high rates of comorbidity between serious mental illnesses and common physical health conditions and substance use pose additional risks.[2]

Improving Crisis Response

An NDP government will immediately invest $10 million more into mobile crisis services and $7 million more for safe bed programs to support mobile crisis teams.

Then, work towards establishing 24-hour civilian community mobile teams across the province to operate in partnership with Mobile Crisis Response Teams and respond to low-risk crisis situations.

Costing

Universal publicly funded mental health care: An NDP government will get to work immediately to expand therapy access with a $500 million investment. When fully implemented, the estimated cost of providing this coverage will be $1.15 billion annually.

Reduce the wait-list for children’s mental health: The “Make Kids Count” Action Plan calls for an investment of $130 million over the next three years – starting at $15 million in annual funding this fiscal year and growing to $58 million by 2023-24.

Strengthening the Sector: The annual funding boost for Canadian Mental Health Association Branches will require $24 million in annual increased investment.

Improving Crisis Response: An immediate and ongoing annual investment increase of $17 million for mobile crisis teams and safe beds.

Experts estimate that every $1 invested into a mental health care program would yield, on average, $2 in savings to society (from a low-end $1.78 to an estimated high of $3.15). The full economic impact of an investment in a universal mental health program has the potential to save the Ontario economy more than $10 billion over the next five years by the most conservative estimates.[3] Savings are realized in several areas, including social services, emergency services and justice.

Because Andrea Horwath and the NDP are committing to a universal program, businesses that offer health insurance or health spending plans now will realize some savings, as well.

[1] Make Kids Count: Action plan from the Children’s Health Coalition to ensure hospital capacity and provide timely access to care both in the immediate pandemic response and through recovery
[2] Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2021). COVID-19 and people living with serious mental illness: Policy brief. Ottawa, Canada: Mental Health Commission of Canada.
[3] Vasiliadis, H-M. et al. (May 2017) Assessing the Costs and Benefits of Insuring Psychological Services as Part of Medicare for Depression in Canada. Psychiatric Services, 68 (9): 899-906. (available online)