March 14, 2022  |  Toronto, ON  |  Health Canada

The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse impacts on the health and well-being of Canadians and Indigenous Peoples, including with respect to mental health and substance use. Many Canadians have reported increased feelings of increased stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness, and national surveillance data has shown a rise in drug toxicity deaths and other substance-related harms.

This difficult and unprecedented time has highlighted the need to address long-standing challenges in the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports across the country. The Government of Canada is committed to improving the delivery of mental health and substance use services and supports so that Canadians are able to receive high quality, culturally appropriate care regardless of where they live.

In budget 2021, the Government of Canada provided $45 million to help develop national standards, in collaboration with provinces and territories, health organizations and key stakeholders, in order to address needs of Canadians related to mental health and substance use. Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, announced that the Government of Canada is taking the first step in developing these national standards by working with the Standards Council of Canada (SCC), as well as stakeholders and partners. National standards will help formalize what Canadians can expect in terms of the timeliness and quality of services across the country.

Tangible and significant progress has been made over the last decade in developing and advancing the use of best practices in mental health and substance use services and supports, supported by significant federal, provincial and territorial investments. However, many gaps remain to be addressed. Access barriers, inconsistent quality of services, and limited front-line workforce capacity are among the factors that make it more difficult for people in Canada to get the mental health and substance use services that they need. The important work of SCC will provide a foundation to close this gap – a national approach that will provide a common framework for service delivery.

SCC will engage a diverse range of interested parties to inform this work, including provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, health organizations and people with lived and living experiences. To facilitate engagement, SCC will establish a National Standardization Collaborative that will provide opportunities for stakeholders to contribute. Public consultations will also be launched later this year.