Focus on Diversity: CAMH Annual Report 2003

CAMH Annual Report

Building Bridges Breaking Barriers Access Project

The Building Bridges Breaking Barriers Access Project is designed to ensure that ethno-racial/cultural communities have full access to quality mental health and addictions services from CAMH. The project is a joint initiative between CAMH and five ethno-racial/ cultural community agencies: Scadding Court Community Centre (Chinese), the Ethiopian Association in Toronto, Polycultural Immigrant and Community Services (Polish), Punjabi Community Health Centre and the Society for the Aid of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Minorities. As a pilot program, the project will implement an anti-racist organizational change model in two CAMH programs -- the General Addiction, Assessment and Treatment Program and the General Psychiatry Program.

Through participatory action research, this project identified the systemic barriers created by racism, cultural insensitivity, language, western models of treatment and inequitable access to information, networks, resources, decision-making, experience and expertise. One goal is to raise awareness of substance use and mental health issues in ethno-racial/cultural communities through health promotion and prevention strategies that are anti-racist and culturally appropriate.

From the research, the project team developed a broad action plan. This action plan will be implemented not only in the two pilot clinical programs, but also in CAMH's education and training, human resources, health promotion, communications, governance/ leadership, and public policy work.

Building Bridges Breaking Barriers is a model for CAMH in creating partnerships with ethno-racial/cultural communities in Toronto and in addressing systemic barriers so we can better meet the needs of diverse stakeholders.

Spanish addiction program turns lives around

In November 2002, the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples honoured CAMH with the award for Outstanding Contribution by Another Non-Profit Agency to the Toronto Hispanic Community. The award was given for our Spanish-language residential addiction program.

We began this program in May 2001 as a pilot project with the Centre for Spanish Speaking Peoples. At that time, no intensive addiction programs in Spanish were available in Toronto, although CAMH staff recognized that there was a need. Spanish-speaking staff decided to develop a program

that would reflect the needs of Spanish-speaking clients: all education, group and individual therapy, recreation, nutrition and stress management sessions would be delivered in Spanish; menus would reflect the clients' countries of origin; and Spanish posters would help create a welcoming environment.

The program was an immediate success. Clients said it was important to be able to participate in treatment in their own language and within a culturally competent experience. The program, which has now been offered six times, continues to receive high praise from its participants.