GUELPH – The Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington welcomes the funding for community mental health and addictions included in the provincial budget announced on March 23.
The provincial government has allocated the largest base funding commitment for community mental health and addictions care in a decade as part of their 2023 budget, states a press release from the local agency.
The budget is providing the sector with $425 million over three years for mental health and addictions, including a five per cent increase for base funding of community-based mental health and addiction services.
The funding will serve to stabilize the sector, as requests for mental health and addictions support have continued to rise across the province for all age groups.
This surge in demand for services has led to heavier workloads for staff and has contributed to burnout and attrition.
“This budget commitment shows that the provincial government understands the strain our sector is facing as we support people of all ages living with mental health and addictions challenges,” says CEO of the Waterloo Wellington CMHA Helen Fishburn.
Locally, the agency supports more than 25,000 people each year while demand for mental health and addiction support and treatment services has increased by 40% compared to pre-COVID volumes, she said.
“With 3,151 people waiting for ongoing care locally, we are grateful for this critical investment, which will help us to enhance a high quality of care for the individuals we serve in our community, while operating our agency.”
The budget also includes targeted funding for supportive housing as part of the government’s commitments.
Evidence shows that appropriate housing combined with supports for the person housed, are key success factors in a person’s recovery journey.
