Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for the opportunity to present to this committee.
My name is Padraic Carr and I am the president of the Canadian Psychiatric Association. I'm joined by Mr. Glenn Brimacombe, the CEO of the CPA.
The CPA is the national voluntary professional association for Canada's 4,700 psychiatrists and 900 residents, and is the leading authority on psychiatric matters in Canada. As the national voice of Canada's psychiatrists, the CPA is dedicated to promoting the highest quality care and treatment for persons with mental illness, and advocates for the professional needs of its members by promoting excellence in education, research, and clinical practice.
The CPA is pleased to see that the standing committee has identified mental health as an issue that requires study from the perspective of the federal government's roles and responsibilities.
While the organization, delivery, management, and funding of health care is largely, but not exclusively, a provincial and territorial responsibility, the CPA shares the view that there are a number of important ways in which the federal government can play a strong leadership role in advancing the mental health of Canadians.
First, let me begin by applauding the federal government for its commitment in Budget 2015 to renew the mandate of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, beginning in 2017. While more discussion is needed to clarify the strategic objectives and outcomes of its mental health action plan, the CPA looks forward to building on the commission's impressive track record of achievement.
We know there is a significant amount of time, energy, and resources invested in developing the commission's mental health strategy, “Changing Directions, Changing Lives”. It should be viewed as an important document that provides a road map in addressing the mental health needs of Canadians.
Over the course of the commission's current mandate, it has developed a series of projects that look to reduce the stigma of mental health—for example, the opening minds project and the mental health first aid initiative— to improve workplace mental health through the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, and to develop a set of pan-Canadian metrics to better view and understand the mental health of Canadians, to name a few of the projects.
Combined, these and other initiatives are essential in moving forward when it comes to improving our collective mental health. While these efforts are necessary, they are not in and of themselves sufficient. More can and must be done to deepen the impact of the commission's strategy and to strengthen the role of the federal government.
There are four elements that can impact the work of the federal government and the MHCC. We need to adopt evidence-based innovations; we need better integration of services; we need to evaluate how the system is performing; and we need adequate funding to make that work.
While one may be tempted to think that the answer to those four elements lies with the provinces and territories, the reality is that there is a substantial leadership role for the federal government to be an active partner, facilitator, and collaborator.
One area where the federal government, through the commission, has played a clear leadership role is with the At Home/ Chez Soi program, which proved to be a sound investment for those who are homeless and suffering from mental illness. Given the savings that were generated for those with high and moderate needs, there is an opportunity for federal leadership to move beyond a pilot project and to expand the project across the country on a sustained basis.
To make this happen, those four elements of innovation, integration, evaluation, and funding must be addressed.
When it comes to mental health and stigma, we know the adverse effects of stigma on those with mental illness have been well documented. They include delays in seeking treatment, early treatment discontinuation, difficulty in obtaining housing and employment, and adverse economic effects. Stigma has been described, actually, as the primary barrier to treatment and recovery. Stigma is a well-documented obstacle to receiving adequate medical care and is only one factor in diminished life expectancy.
While the Mental Health Commission of Canada has made some important inroads through its opening minds project, more needs to be done.
Finally, I would like to turn to the role of research dissemination and best practices for mental health care and suicide prevention. As an evidence-based profession, psychiatry relies on access to the latest research and best practices as they apply to our clinical decision-making process. ln that regard, the Canadian Psychiatric Association plays a very important role in having a number of vehicles to ensure that our members have real-time access to clinical information through our peer-reviewed journal, continuing professional development courses, and at our annual conference.
As we think about how we can improve the sharing of timely clinical information with providers, the CPA is well positioned to assist the government in its study.
At the same time, though, there are other important collaborative opportunities to consider. The CPA is a founding member on the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, CAMIMH, and there are various unique opportunities to reach a broad range of mental health providers and those with lived experience.
From a provincial and territorial perspective, there are opportunities to better leverage the work of the Council of the Federation's health care innovation working group. Similarly, we work in closer strategic partnership with those national health agencies whose mission is focused on the provision of quality health care. For example, here I include the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Canadian Institute for Health Information, Statistics Canada, the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, the Canadian Foundation for Health Innovation, and the Canadian Patient Safety Institute.
There are opportunities for these agencies to collaborate more effectively when it comes to focusing on the different dimensions of quality, which include access, appropriateness, cost-effectiveness, and patient and provider satisfaction.
Another way to spread leading practices would be to create a time-limited, issue-specific, and strategically targeted mental health innovation fund. Such a fund would look to invest in proven innovations that have had success in improving access, quality, and health outcomes.
ln closing, Mr. Chairman, some very important, positive steps have been taken by the federal government. However, there are other opportunities that should be considered to improve the mental health of Canadians.
lt's time to see greater parity between resources devoted to physical and mental health. The federal government can play a critical role. As the national voice of psychiatry, we look forward to working with you and others in findings innovative and sustainable solutions that put Canadians first.
Thank you.