Letter from Dr. Patrick Smith: At the Centre Fall 2003

At the Centre

While I've been a Vice President, Clinical Programs since the merger, my new role as Vice President overseing all clinical programs comes at an exciting milestone in CAMH's journey. As we celebrate five years marked by many accomplishments, the organization is entering a new stage in its development and its focus. Having all of the addiction and mental health services working together in one portfolio will undoubtedly enhance our ability to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families affected by addiction and mental illness.

Additionally, the recent executive restructuring for CAMH emphasizes integration across the mandates of care, research, health promotion and prevention, and education. For example, breakthroughs in treatment research are more rapidly translated into improvements in care in our own services at CAMH and across  the province. We are making stronger links to groups across the province  to increase our ability to learn from each other and put what we've learned into practice.

We've all heard the saying that it takes a village to raise a child. We know that it will take all of us working together to make a difference for the people of Ontario, and CAMH is increasingly defining its role in the broader system. We also have a responsibility as citizens of a global village to play our part in helping people who may not have access to basic addiction and mental health services.

In Toronto, we've also determined that it takes a village... an urban village! The proposed redevelopment of our hub at the Queen Street site is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to respond to the needs of individuals and families affected by addiction and mental illness.

We will be able to make improvements in our model of care and adapt the physical environment necessary for the new model in a way that supports recovery and confronts stigma and discrimination. This urban village will be a hub that brings together clients, families, clinicians, researchers, educators and experts in prevention and health promotion.  This hub will connect us with our own satellites and staff across the province and our various partners. Together, we will be able to make a difference in Toronto, across the province, and internationally. That's one of the most exciting things about the proposed changes.

This issue of At the Centre takes a closer look at the Ontario Student Drug Use Survey (OSDUS), which allows us to track patterns of drug and alcohol use among teens and provides data that will assist CAMH in making important decisions related to policy and prevention/treatment needs.

We are most excited to be leading an effort, with help from the Canadian Executive Council on Addictions and the assistance of many partners including Health Canada, to launch a similar survey for adults across Canada this spring. Ed Adlaf, the lead investigator on OSDUS, will also be taking the scientific lead in this national survey. We believe this national survey will become an important component of a sustained National Drug Strategy just as OSDUS has played a key role in Ontario.

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