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CAMH to Begin its Transformation of Care for People with Mental Health and Addiction Problems

Toronto, ON, September 9, 2005 - Some of Ontario's most vulnerable people - the one-in-four who have mental health and addiction problems - will benefit from a transformation of care thanks to a major investment in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health's (CAMH's) redevelopment project announced today.

CAMH received approvals to begin the first phase of its 10-year multi-phased redevelopment for its Queen Street site.

Ontario Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan made the announcement this morning at a news conference on behalf of Minister of Health and Long Term Care George Smitherman.

CAMH's redevelopment, which was planned with extensive consultation with clients, family members, staff and community stakeholders, is consistent with the government's plan to develop a comprehensive integrated health care system driven by the needs of patients and their families. The redevelopment, with its flexible, less institutional buildings will allow CAMH to provide their clients with programs and services in an environment which is more conducive to client recovery. This will include two types of inpatient units and other facilities to support the hospital's mental health and addiction programs including the following:

  • Alternate Milieu (A.M.) beds for the care and recovery of clients in a homelike setting, helping people to transition back into the community.  The first of these buildings to be built in Phase 1 will serve people in CAMH's Addiction Program and Mood and Anxiety Program.
  • The first of CAMH's modernized core bed buildings, which will be for clients of the Geriatric Mental Health Program and Child, Youth and Family Program. 
  • 12 new beds offering youth withdrawal management and the capacity to provide care for youth and adolescents with addictions and those who have both mental health and addiction problems. These are the first beds of their kind in Toronto.
  • Modernized and less institutional outpatient care buildings.

"Today's exciting announcement will let us begin transforming the care we provide to people who have mental health and addiction problems and put us on the leading edge internationally," said Dr. Paul Garfinkel, President and CEO of CAMH. "The government's investment will let us create facilities that support client dignity, recovery and transition back into the community, while integrating the best in clinical care, research, teaching, health promotion and policy at one site."

CAMH's Queen Street site will serve as its hub of care and clients will also receive support to successfully transition to the community where they will receive support from community-based service providers.

"The government of Ontario continues to make the investments needed in the mental health and addiction sectors that will ease the transition from hospital care to community-based services.  The Government has recognized the need to make capital investments at CAMH to support acute care services for mental health and addiction in Ontario. We hope this will improve access and better utilization of hospital services," said David Kelly, Executive Director, Ontario Federation of Mental Health and Addiction Programs.

"People with mental health and addictions will be well served through this project to improve CAMH's facilities. We're excited to see the government is continuing to invest in building a continuum of care from community to hospital settings, because that is what is needed to truly support recovery," said Karen McGrath, CEO, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario.

The redeveloped site will eventually bring together programs and services that are currently being delivered at four CAMH sites. The implementation of CAMH's new model of care and the redevelopment of CAMH's Queen Street site will help to address stigma, which has been a significant barrier to recovery and full integration into the community.

"This announcement not only impacts the look and feel of our buildings but, more importantly, affects the way we deliver care to our clients and the environment in which they receive it. I am very proud of the work that CAMH has done to improve care for people with mental health and addiction problems and gratified by the support that the government has shown in moving this important redevelopment forward," said Jamie Anderson, Chair of CAMH's Board of Trustees.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is Canada's largest addiction and mental health teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

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For further information please contact: Michael Torres, Media Relations Coordinator at 416-595-6015.

The Ministry's press release is available at http://www.pir.gov.on.ca/userfiles/HTML/cma_4_43136_1.html
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