Well before the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the lack of timely access to inclusive and accessible mental health and substance use health care has been a longstanding concern in Canada. Despite the urgent need, for many, it is not uncommon to experience wait times of months or years to see a mental health care provider or enter a treatment program.
With the impact of the global pandemic, how will our health care systems be able to respond to a growing number of people in Canada who are, or will, experience COVID-19-related mental health and substance use health issues and need care over the short-, medium- and/or longer-term?
The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) strongly believes that mental health must be our first wealth. Canada must do more to protect and invest in its most valuable assets: people. As much as our health care systems focus on our physical health, there can be no health without our mental health.
CASW is a proud member of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH).