Taking Action to Facilitate Access to Mental Health Supports for Ontario Children & Youth

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the RNAO lobby the government for designated funds to ensure equitable access to mental health services within 30 days of presenting mental health related concerns, so that children and youth, up to and including eighteen years of age, do not suffer long term consequences related to delayed assessments, diagnoses, and interventions.

Action

This resolution formed part of RNAO’s 2022 provincial election platform. Specifically, the platform asks that any new provincial government “ensure that wait times for children and youth mental health services are less than 30 days.” The rationale supporting this ask states, “Families have long struggled to access children’s mental health services in Ontario. Mental health hospitalization rates for young people are skyrocketing. The pandemic has increased levels of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and attempts, making timely access to these services even more necessary.”
RNAO’s new policy website includes a pediatric mental health indicator on its care delivery dash board, which looks at wait times. RNAO is in the process of updating this indicator to better track wait times, and will use the findings to inform further lobbying efforts.