CAMH Strategic Plan 2003 - 2006: About CAMH

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is the largest addiction and mental health organization in North America combining clinical care, health promotion, research and education. CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre and is a teaching hospital fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

CAMH has created a wide range of clinical, health promotion, support and rehabilitation programs to meet the diverse needs of people who are at risk for addiction and mental health problems and who are at different stages of their lives and illnesses. Our services include assessment, brief early interventions, intensive psychiatric services, residential programs, continuing care and family support. To build on our direct clinical work, we work with family doctors, home support services, community agencies and other health care providers to ensure that patients/clients and their families can receive assistance in their own communities and homes if possible. We also work to ensure that other service providers have the tools and resources they need to address addiction and mental health issues in their communities.

CAMH brings together internationally recognized researchers in the biological, clinical, social and prevention fields with a range of professional training and a province-wide network of community program staff. As a result, we have a unique capacity to focus our research agenda on the most pressing needs of the communities and to translate new knowledge into action. CAMH's work is key to preventing problems, finding more effective treatments for often debilitating conditions and improving the quality of life for people who are struggling with addiction, substance use problems and mental health problems.

CAMH has locations across Ontario that work with community partners to enhance the capacity and quality of services and systems to prevent and reduce harm associated with addiction and mental health problems. CAMH emphasis is on three areas: youth, concurrent disorders and diverse populations. Our work in these areas is supported by specialists in health promotion to ensure that approaches are evidence based, comprehensive and integrated. CAMH also has addiction and mental health system planning consultants who work with District Health Councils, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care regional staff, addiction and mental health service providers to ensure that issues related to addiction, mental health and concurrent disorders are addressed in communities around the province. The impact of this work extends across the country and internationally.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) was created in 1998 through the successful merger of the former Addiction Research Foundation, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, the Donwood Institute and the Queen Street Mental Health Centre.

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