|
 Centre for Addictionand Mental Health |
|
|
|
Publications
|
Message from the Chair and President - CAMH Annual Report 2005CAMH Annual Report
Partnerships and integration An exceptional amount of work has taken place to better integrate programs and services within camh and to forge strong external partnerships. The result has been more options to meet clients' needs and better avenues for education, prevention and health promotion. Internal changes, such as the inception of the Consultation, Assessment, Triage and Support Program and the new case management service in our Mood and Anxiety Program, facilitate and improve client care by branching out within camh as well as into the community. The new model for the Queen Street site further seeks to ensure that we have better connections between the hospital and the community. We have put tremendous effort into making the new site a more home-like environment, one integrated into the surrounding neighbourhood. We are pleased with the many successful consultations we have had with local communities to address the stigma surrounding addiction and mental illness and to involve them in our site redevelopment. By aligning us with the wants and needs of our stakeholders, all of these changes will help us continue to build capacity and achieve a seamless system of care, providing the right treatment for each individual client. St. Michael's, University Health Network -- Toronto Western, Mount Sinai and camh in a network to provide better acute care to clients across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) who need services for substance use and mental health problems; our alliance with Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, which takes a joint approach to treating psychological trauma and getting people back to work or school; and our successful collaboration with George Brown College in Toronto on the Assistant Cook Extended Training Program, which provides new training and employment opportunities for people with mental health and substance use issues. Further, our more established programs continue to evolve and thrive. Our high-school program, Talking about Mental Illness, which provides education and fights stigma, is now available in over 20 communities in Ontario and The Arson Prevention Program for Children is now operating in over 50 communities throughout the province. The far-reaching impact of these and other programs is only possible through carefully developed and extensive partnerships. Discovering, sharing and applying new knowledge It has also been a good year for our scientists. We are doing exciting work in the areas of mindfulness/ meditation, depression, anxiety and substance use. In the rapidly evolving world of science, our teaching and professional staff continue to win awards. This year, we received hundreds of research grants, including three $1 million research grants, all to help us better understand and treat mental illness and substance use. For example, our work in genetic research and how a person's genetic makeup links to mental illness or substance use will ultimately translate into groundbreaking new therapies. The opening of our Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Clinic, for treating depression, is another good example of how new knowledge leads to worthwhile, innovative treatments. Our background papers and research have provided a sound, scientific basis for the City of Toronto's Drug Strategy Initiative and have contributed to the discussion on proposed changes to Ontario's liquor licensing laws. A united mental health and addiction sector Our work with the Canadian Mental Health Association -- Ontario and the Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addiction Programs has been very productive. The need to respond to the Ontario government's transformation agenda brought us closer together and helped to unite us as a community. Our joint position and solid contribution to a series of consultations on the Local Health Integration Networks (lhins) garnered positive attention from the government and pushed substance use and mental health to the top of the agenda. This collaboration and shared vision is crucial for going forward as the health care system changes. Supporting our people It has also been a very good year for our people. We have hired well, and our nursing vacancy rate, historically a challenge to many hospitals, is low. We are continuing to hone our staff's skills, with initiatives like our diversity training. In collaboration with clients, we have developed a Bill of Client Rights, a document that articulates an exceptional commitment to the rights of clients. With excellent people, working together, we are prepared to advance on many fronts. Looking ahead All in all, we are well positioned for the future. Our work is increasingly relevant, and we have come to look at health and illness in a broader way. Our holistic approach is pertinent to the changes coming to the Ontario health care system. Moreover, we are entering this next stage in our development with a balanced budget. We have worked hard to be fiscally responsible while, at the same time, consistently expanding our programs. In a time of economic restraint, such an effort is fundamental to our survival. We have also secured a $16 million planning grant for redevelopment of the Queen Street site, an accomplishment central to moving forward. Finally, we are better connected-on a more meaningful and effective level-than ever before. Our relationships with other health care providers and provincial, national and international organizations continue to develop. We are strengthening our links to business, academia and government. This year we had significant visits from the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty; the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, The Honourable James K. Bartleman; the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, George Smitherman; and other cabinet ministers. Looking back, we can be pleased with what we have accomplished. Looking ahead, we can be inspired by the prospects. Let us celebrate our partnerships and join together as a community to take the next steps onward. Jamie Anderson, Chair, CAMH Board of Trustees |
 Related Links |
|
Last updated: October 04, 2005 2:15 PM Published: February 10, 2012 6:53 PM ID#14800-R |