The Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC) is pleased to be launching a series of Pan-Canadian Community Mental Health Roundtables this summer, with community-based mental health organizations from across the country. MDSC is working to better understand the current situation facing many mental health organizations in Canada, as we seek to make lasting improvements to the health care system.
These local, mental health care providers are a crucial part of the Canadian health care system, and offer mental health services and support programs for Canadians in need, at a time when more and more Canadians are seeking out professional mental health support. In 2021, MDSC organized a series of roundtables, gathering insight into the work of several community mental health organizations from across the country. Using the data compiled from these encounters, MDSC identified the following key findings in the preliminary report:
- Community organizations are strong innovators when it comes to developing new programs and services
- Community organizations struggle to secure core, operational and sustained funding
- Community organizations face structural difficulties when recruiting and retaining talent
- Improved coordination and referrals between community organizations and primary care providers strengthen mental health care strategies and improve accessibility
- Improved communication and coordination between community organizations would strengthen available programs and services
- Closer working relationships between health care providers and community organizations would lessen primary care demands, lower wait times, and increase access to ongoing crucial support resources
“MDSC has a long history of partnering with mental health organizations of all shapes and sizes across this country to elevate their voices, and collaborate with them to better shape our advocacy efforts on their behalf,” said Dave Gallson, National Executive Director of the Mood Disorders Society of Canada. “This next series Community Organization Roundtables will only further our understanding of the issues these establishments are facing, and how we can better support them and the crucial work they are doing.”
“Health care providers have a tendency to work in silos, but we believe we should all be working towards a more client-centred approach, instead of being so service-centred,” said Leentje Deleuil, the Executive Director of the Family Enrichment Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick and one of the participants in the roundtable meetings. “These efforts to elevate the voices of community mental health organizations will only help increase access to affordable help for Canadians, at a time when they need it the most.”
MDSC invites community-based mental health organizations to register for the upcoming roundtables through the website here. The first roundtables will be held on July 14, July 28, and August 18, with more to come throughout the summer.
The Mood Disorders Society of Canada was launched in 2001 to provide people with mood disorders, their families and caregivers a strong, cohesive voice at the national level on issues relating to mental health and mental illness. With particular regard to depression, bipolar disorder and other associated mood disorders, the MDSC aims to improve access to treatment, inform research, shape program development and government policy to improve the quality of life for people affected by mood disorders.
