Download a copy of this petition here.
WHEREAS there is currently a lack of consistent mental health intake policies and care across Ontario when people seek assistance at hospitals;
WHEREAS staff training and readiness to support patients with mental health issues at Ontario’s hospitals lacks consistency and is not sufficiently trauma-informed or evidenced-based;
WHEREAS current discharge procedures often leave vulnerable people without access to adequate care or support;
WHEREAS approximately 4500 people die by suicide each year in Canada and suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults ages 15-34; and
WHEREAS the experience of Waterloo’s Roth family in the death of their daughter Kaitlyn has brought to light serious flaws in mental health discharge procedures;
WE the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to direct the Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions to earmark funding for dedicated training for staff providing mental health services with a focus on evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, to review intake and discharge procedures to ensure consistency of care, and to provide funding for Alternative Destination Clincs in communities across Ontario.
Learn more about Alternate Destination Clinics by visiting https://www.engagewr.ca/alternate-destination-clinics-mental-health
Learn more about Kaitlyn and the Roth family's advocacy by visiting www.fitg.org