Regarding mental health and addiction funding letters

This email was sent to EDs/Admin leads of AFHTO member teams

Dear Members,

Most of you have or will soon receive your funding letters with regards to one-time mental health and addiction funding for FY 2022-2023. Please note that although those funds are finally confirmed, the ministry is imposing an embargo on public communications related to this funding until further notice so this funding should not be announced to your communities or media until you have been provided with the direction to go ahead.

To support teams with planning, this document provides information and options for teams to consider as you decide where to direct this funding (if you currently do not have a plan). This is for information only to help generate ideas and aren’t guidelines on how funds must be utilized.  Guidance from the Ministry of Health states that funding can be used for a range of options that are not related to capital costs, and expenses can be made retroactive for this fiscal year.

The Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC) may be doing a report back to the Ministry on how the funds have been spent. While they determine the information they wish to collect, please support that work by keeping track of key indicators related to the impact of funding. Examples could include:

• Number/percentage of patients served (including unattached)
• Type of service provided
  • Counselling and treatment (internal)
  • Counselling and treatment (hired external)
  • Addiction services
  • Outreach (mobile unit, care in the home)
  • Youth services
  • Support groups
  • Groups/webinars including virtual workshop series
  • Crisis services
  • Purchase of patient resources/tools like workbooks etc.
  • Visual storytelling (patients, families, caregiver, HCPs)
• Waiting times and waiting list before and after funding was released

Our goal is to make the case to government for sustainable funding though we know it will be difficult to provide them with meaningful data. However, if you can provide any updates on how the funds made impact with your patients and/or communities it will be shared to help the ministry with their future planning.

SUPPORTS THAT CAN BE LEVERAGED

Existing Provincial Services:
Teams may contract services with provincial organizations (e.g., CMHA, AMHO organizations) that provide a variety of mental health supports through a combination of virtual, in-person, or guided online sessions. These organizations have worked with interprofessional teams in varying capacities and can be leveraged to provide short term supports. This can also be extended to employing short-term contracts with independent practice social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals.

SickKids CCMH Learning Institute

• The SickKids CCMH Learning Institute offers high-quality and evidence-informed learning opportunities for mental health and medical health professionals, direct service workers, educators, and first responders to advance best practices in mental health care. Program length varies from half-day (3-hour) webinars to multi-day certificate programs. They offer training for professionals who work with patients of every age, across the lifespan.
• This program is available to AFHTO members at a 15% discount, and it’s a great opportunity to provide educational opportunities for members of your team. Upcoming courses can be found here so please register as soon as you can.
• To support the Institute with further programming, please also take a few minutes to complete their survey to share insights into training needs for you and your teams.  

AskForHelptoday.ca

• The Ontario Psychological Association (OPA) has implemented a stop-gap measure by introducing a navigation and matching service available to all residents of Ontario who require the services of a registered psychologist. Patients are matched to Psychologists or Psychological Associates that are in good standing with the College of Psychologists of Ontario with considerations for their personal preferences (e.g., preferred language, race, location). Services are virtual and match patients with consideration for their personal preference.
• Primary care teams have the potential to refer patients through Ocean eReferral or on the web portal askforhelptoday.ca. OPA is willing to work with a group of teams to develop services best suited to the needs of individual health teams. An example of the service offering currently operational in Ontario is the Ministry of Health funded COVID-19 Psychological Support Program which supports the psychotherapeutic needs of frontline healthcare workers in partnership with Ontario Health and five hospitals. Click here to learn more about the CPS program.  
• You can also click here to learn more about the types of patients that are most often referred to psychologists. For more information, please contact Dr. Sylvain Roy, DrRoy@psych.on.ca  

MindBeacon

• Offers Canadians a full spectrum of mental health supports for depression, anxiety and other common mental health concerns with face-to-face live therapy, virtual therapy, and a therapist-guided Internet Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TAiCBT) program. Clinicians can determine what therapy is best for their patient or can leave the decision to one of MindBeacon’s licensed professionals to help guide the patient to a therapy that meets their needs and preferences.
• TAiCBT helps patients with over 12 mental health concerns (e.g., depression, anxiety insomnia, panic, stress, and PTSD). It is offered to patients (16+) for up to 12 weeks of personalized therapy on a platform with their own licensed mental health professional. This therapy is all delivered online, with no phone calls and no appointments and. Guidance from their therapist is done on the platform through messaging.
• Interprofessional teams have the option of pooling funds and developing a contract with MindBeacon to help meet service demand.
• MindBeacon can provide different referral options for teams and is currently working on having a site on Ocean eReferral. Training and communication materials for clinicians and patients on MindBeacon’s therapy and referral options is also available to all partners. Click here to learn more about MindBeacon.
• For more information, please contact Felicia Fallen, Felicia.fallen@mindbeacon.com

ONE-TIME, SHORT-TERM PURCHASES:

• Modalities of therapy training (trauma, CBT, DBT, ACT, EFT, IFS) to allow for future programming.
• Resources (e.g., textbooks, audio books (psychoeducation and worksheets for patients), podcast subscriptions, laptops, and screens for programming and remote work, increasing capacity for virtual care services.
• Payments to support patients’ daily needs (e.g., clothing, temporary housing, utility costs, grocery gift cards, community kitchens, bus passes etc.).
• Leverage existing partnerships (e.g., work with existing OHTs, partner with CMHA to staff a drop-in centre for MH&A patients that need a warm shelter during the winter).
• Increase staffing capacity on a temporary or long-term basis (e.g., hire and sustain a mental health counsellor role within your team, hiring a care coordinator/patient navigator).

IDEAS FROM INTERPROFESSIONAL HEALTHCARE TEAMS:
These are initiatives currently underway or planned by primary care teams that may spark ideas for you to consider if you choose to manage services locally.

• North Shore Family Health Team: NSFHT received a 0.5 percent FTE staffing increase for navigation, and directed a portion of this position for intake, assessment and care coordination services for patients that experience mental health/socio-economic struggles. The program has improved inter-agency flow with patients being continuously supported as they are referred to the services that best address their needs. The care coordinator works with patients to coordinate other beneficial interventions, such as volunteer opportunities, and continues to do wellness checks until another organization can take over. Click here to learn more.
• Windsor Family Health Team: A stand alone non-profit was created to serve anyone in need, however, the majority of the patients are those with MH&A issues. These services include providing groceries, housecleaning, transportation to out-of-town appointments, medical equipment, hotel stays, help with utility and/or rent payments, etc. A yearly limit is set for each patient. This service works in conjunction with other local agencies to provide the most comprehensive support possible. WFHT offers MH counselling and a RAAM Clinic.

We’re here to support you. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Abisola Otepola.

Yours in good health,

The AFHTO Team