TORONTO—With the provincial election just a few days away, Canadian Mental Health Association of Ontario, is asking voters to support the party that will best support the mental health and addiction care needs of all Ontarians.
In a news release shared with Ontarians, the Canadian Mental Health Association believes that one of the most impactful way to achieve enhanced care is to develop and implement a province wide plan to attract and keep mental health and addiction workers throughout the province.
In their opinion, “Without such a plan, promises made by all parties to provide Ontarians greater access to mental health and addiction services will be hollow. Like other health sectors hit hard by the pandemic, community mental health and addictions providers are losing talented and dedicated people to emotional exhaustion, burnout and stress.”
The Canadian Mental Health Association believes that the impact on Ontarians will be huge without enough staff and services needed. The Association identified their most pressing issue. “Aside from providing quality care, staff recruitment and retention is currently the significant issue for us,” said Camille Quenneville, CEO, CMHA Ontario. “We need a dedicated workforce to ensure that all Ontarians who need mental health and addiction support will receive it.”
They highlight that the pandemic has led to greater demand for service, placing a greater strain on a workforce. The Ontario chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association wants all Ontarians to consider specific items of interest and concern before making their choice on election day. They ask them to consider that:
- One CMHA branch has experienced an 86 per cent turnover in nursing positions, with many leaving after less than a year
- CMHAs are forced to move away from hiring provincially regulated professions like social workers, nurses and occupational therapists to unregulated roles which come at a lower salary
- CMHA registered nurses make 33 per cent less than registered nurses at other health care providers
- Positions are going unfilled because there’s not enough funding
- Candidates are offered jobs but refuse due to low salary
This statement by the Canadian Mental Health Association Ontario, encourages the public to vote for the party who they describe as one that will, “implement a plan to attract and retain mental health and addictions workers so that everyone in the province can get the best care when and where they need it.”
