No Time to Wait: Ontario Election Website to Promote Engagement on Addiction and Mental Health Challenges

Addictions and Mental Health Ontario (AMHO) has launched an election website to promote engagement on challenges facing the addiction and mental health sector: https://notimetowaitontario.ca/

As the beginning of the election coincides with Mental Health Week, this is an opportunity to contribute to a national dialogue on mental health and addiction. Visit AMHOs website to learn more about the issues, download  social media assets, or send a letter directly to your local candidates calling for a better mental health and addiction system.
In the 2022 provincial election, AMHO calls on all political parties to commit to:

• Implementing a strategy to address growing wait times for mental health, addiction, and substance use health services.

          Including baseline funding increases to community-based mental health, addiction,
          and substance use health providers by 8% ($120M annually).

• Developing and implementing a Health Human Resources plan to address the staffing challenges in the sector.

          Including working towards wage equity to achieve wage parity with the hospital
          sector and removing compensation caps for workers on the front lines.

• Responding urgently to the escalating overdose crisis and the drastic rise in overdose deaths.

          Including restriking the Ontario Emergency Opioid Task Force.

• Using a social determinants of health approach in designing and implementing mental health and substance use supports and services.

          Including increasing the supply and access to supportive housing units and ensuring
          people with lived and living experience (PWLE) are actively engaged as partners in
          designing the system of care.