Who is that "girl" with the Health Minister- Release of new Mental Health & Addiction Plan
On Tuesday Mar 3 2020, I did the opening speech at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences for the Deputy Premier & Minister of Health Christine Elliot (pic attached) and also the Associate Minister of Mental Health & Addiction, Michael Tibollo (pic attached). Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliot announced the Roadmap to Wellness: A Plan to Build Ontario's Mental Health and Addictions System. Government, healthcare leaders and media from across Ontario listened as I shared from my personal experience of the system gaps, unmet service needs and the impact of stigma; and how that affected my journey through mental health, trauma & addiction, and my ability to help my late son, Pete.
Pete, who also struggled with mental health & addiction was only 25 years old when he died of an accidental opioid overdose on Dec 23 2001. After Pete died I devoted my time, and our personal journeys, for over a decade to help “fix the gaps”, reduce stigma and help to co-design a human centered approach for healthcare transformation.
The Roadmap to Wellness is a plan to create a comprehensive and connected mental health and addiction system including driving down wait times for services. The roadmap is focused on delivering against four key pillars:
- Improving quality
- Expanding existing services
- Implementing innovative solutions
- Improving access
The new Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence within Ontario Health will serve as the foundation on which the Roadmap to Wellness is built. The Centre will be the coordinating and leading body that will enable and drive the effective implementation of the plan's four pillars which aim to support Ontarians across the lifespan.
Congratulation, Betty-Lou! You're an inspiring and moving speaker, and it's great to have someone with your experience guiding our efforts to improve our system!
Glad to see you were involved in this Betty-Lou.
Congratulations Betty-Lou. I'm hoping that these initiatives will come into being in an honest and integrative manner, and ultimately bring more care where it is needed. A lot of my medical colleagues fear we are going to have our treatment hours limited (frightening for a trauma therapist like myself) and eventually have all funding removed. I don't feel the same level of anxiety right now, but I am still suspicious that the road map may be far more political than at first meets the eye. I hope not. Time will tell.
Thank you! Harry, I remain guarded for sure. I do have much more optimism but........