For Immediate Release:
August 27, 2010
Simcoe – Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett is hopeful there will be meaningful changes for those in need of mental health and/or addiction services.
After almost two years of meetings with hundreds of mental health and addictions organizations, clients, and families from across Ontario, a nine member committee has just released its final report. Barrett’s caucus colleagues Sylvia Jones (MPP Dufferin-Caledon) and Christine Elliott (Whitby-Oshawa) were members of the committee. Jones said the concerns highlighted include children’s mental health, the increase of suicide among young people, the mental health and addiction problems facing the homeless, the inconsistency of program delivery throughout Ontario, access to services among aboriginal communities, and mental health issues in long-term care facilities.
“My office often hears from folks who feel they are slipping through the cracks when it comes to accessing mental health services,” Barrett said. “I commend MPPs of all political stripes for working together to develop a report that will see meaningful change for individuals and families.”
The committee was struck in response to MPP Elliott’s resolution tabled in December 2008.
Barrett, prior to his election in 1995, spent 20 years with the Ontario Addiction Research Foundation in the development of treatment services, education and employee assistance programs. He encourages the public to view the report here.
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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or (905)-765-8413, 1-800-903-8629