What if you or someone you know needs mental health and substance use health care right now? Do you know exactly where to go to get what you need?
As Canada navigates social and economic landscapes that could deepen mental health and substance use health challenges, the need for a transformative approach has never been more urgent and Canadian mental health organizations are quietly innovating to develop and deliver this type of system in real time.
The introduction of new, more lethal substances and the rapid impact of artificial intelligence and other technologies on well-being are just a couple of examples of what the sector is trying to address.
At the same time, mental health care in Canada remains underfunded, and publicly available services are often limited with long wait times, leaving gaps that may be filled through privately delivered care. Demand for services continues to outpace supply. As needs become increasingly more complex and pressures on the acute and primary health-care systems grow, community-based mental health organizations continue to step up with creativity and adaptability to meet ongoing and emerging needs. What drives this innovation is not crisis, though – it is curiosity, collaboration and a deep commitment to care.
Central to advancing mental health solutions is building meaningful partnerships. These partnerships can take many forms, from co-designing services that blend academic expertise with the lived experiences of people with mental health and substance use challenges to sharing resources, research and fresh ideas across sectors. When these perspectives and efforts come together, the result is more effective, culturally relevant and responsive interventions. Across Canada, numerous organizations are implementing innovative programs and approaches that demonstrate what’s possible.
The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is a not-for-profit federation of local and provincial/territorial organizations and a national office, all working with a shared mission: to ensure mental health for all.
Each CMHA branch has room to test new programs or models that fit local needs. The federation structure enables branches to share what works – and what doesn’t – so successful ideas can quickly spread nationally. Instead of reinventing the wheel in every community, branches can adapt proven tools, training or approaches from other branches, saving time and money. Innovations developed locally also inform national policy advocacy, amplifying their impact beyond individual communities.
CMHA’s BounceBack program helps people manage low mood and anxiety before issues become more serious. Mobile crisis response teams safely support people in distress when and where they need it. And in some communities, CMHA’s Housing First initiatives underscore that stable housing is critical for mental health and substance use health. These programs allow CMHA to reach people who might otherwise fall through the cracks in a traditional, medicalized system.
These programs allow CMHA to reach people who might otherwise fall through the cracks in a traditional, medicalized system.
Another example is the work of Stepped Care Solutions – a Canadian non-profit focused on supporting governments, communities and organizations to transform mental health and substance use health systems. At the core is the Stepped Care 2.0 (SC2.0) model: a flexible, evidence-based framework that integrates a full range of services, from mental health promotion and illness prevention to intensive specialist treatment and crisis support. Adopted by various organizations in diverse settings across Canada and internationally, SC2.0 has demonstrated its adaptability and broad impact.
A notable element within the SC2.0 model is One-at-a-Time Therapy (OAAT), a brief, single-session approach that is easy to access and focuses on a person’s most immediate concerns. Used across various service settings, OAAT has been shown to reduce wait times, improve outcomes and satisfaction for clients, and enhance provider experience. Best of all, OAAT can be seamlessly integrated into existing systems, complementing and extending conventional models of care.
The landscape of mental health is shifting. Challenges are more complex and expectations for care are evolving. To keep up, our health-care system must be flexible, equitable and grounded in the specific needs of each community. Innovation is about asking deeper questions to design services that work better for the people who use them.
But innovation alone won’t sustain the system. To protect mental health as a public good, we need governments to support and build on this momentum. With shared purpose and commitment, we have an opportunity to rethink our strategies and create lasting, meaningful change.
Stepped Care Solutions and the Canadian Mental Health Association will dive more deeply into transformative approaches to mental health and substance use health care at the Mental Health for All Conference, Sept. 23-25, in Toronto.
