Primary care providers are still the first point of contact for health services for the majority of Canadians, so improving the quality, accessibility, and types of mental health and substance use health services they offer is expected to improve patient outcomes. In the face of increasing demand for mental health and substance use health services, there is a need to support primary care providers in tailoring these services to the different communities they serve, and to increase capacity for multidisciplinary approaches; national standards can be part of the solution to address these needs. The Canadian Standards Association Group has engaged SRDC to undertake background research on best practices and models of care (e.g., stepped care; coordinated access), and how future standardization efforts can take into account equity for Black Canadians, First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and people of color, as well as the gaps, needs, and priorities of different jurisdictions in Canada. SRDC will also facilitate a series of workshops with relevant parties – including primary care providers and people with lived experience of mental health and substance use health services – to lead a consensus-based process on developing guidance on these issues. The resulting National Workshop Agreement report produced by the CSA Group will provide guidance to improve the integration of MHSUH services in primary care settings, in English and French.
Capability: Knowledge Mobilization/ Workshop Facilitation - Policy Research
Policy Area: Health Services
Population: General Population