CMHA Peel Dufferin receives $2.375 million from province for mental health and addictions services

New funding allows for the introduction of a new Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team in partnership with Peel Regional Police

Brampton, Ontario – New funding from the provincial government to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Peel Dufferin Branch means that individuals who find themselves in distress or battling addiction will have greater access to key services such as mobile crisis intervention teams and rapid access addiction medicine (RAAM) clinics.

Brampton South MPP Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria announced Friday at CMHA Peel Dufferin’s Brampton office that the agency will receive $2.375 million in provincial funding this year. That total includes:

• $1.5 million to launch a Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT) in partnership with Peel Regional Police
• $700,000 to open a new RAAM clinic for opioid addiction treatment in Mississauga, while enhancing services in North Etobicoke, North Peel and Dufferin County
• $160,700 to peer support services to help individuals transitioning from hospital

MCRRTs respond to 911 calls and are staffed by a uniformed police officer and mental health and addictions worker. These teams co-respond to a person in crisis to ensure timely and direct links to community services, de-escalate situations, prevent harm to clients, decrease encounters with the justice system, and prevent unnecessary admissions to emergency departments.

RAAM clinics offer evidence-based treatments by an addiction physician or health care practitioner to individuals presenting with alcohol or opioid-related conditions. These clinics have proven effective in decreasing use of emergency departments, inpatient treatment and withdrawal management services.

Peer support workers are highly valued among mental health and addictions programs nationally and internationally. With these additional funds, CMHA Peel Dufferin will strengthen its existing community peer support program and enable a service that’s fully integrated to help ensure a client’s journey from hospital to community is seamless and timely.

“We thank the government of Ontario for their commitment to mental health and addictions, and we’re pleased to receive this additional funding for these vital programs,” said CMHA Peel Dufferin CEO David Smith. “This will make a real difference in the lives of some of the most vulnerable individuals in the Peel Region, North Etobicoke, Dufferin County and bordering areas to help them get back on their feet and return to mental wellness.”

“Our government is keeping our promise to make mental health and addictions a priority,” Sarkaria said. “This additional funding to CMHA Peel Dufferin will go directly towards services for patients with mental illness and will help develop a strong responsive mental health system in Brampton.”

“I am pleased to see CMHA Peel Dufferin receive provincial funding to help address opioids addiction, peer support services and the mobile crisis teams,” said Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones. “This funding will help individuals in Dufferin-Caledon who are struggling to access services for mental health and addictions.”

“Evidence shows that mobile crisis rapid response teams are effective in supporting people in a mental health or addictions-related crisis,” said Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews. “This funding is not only a significant investment, but a vote of confidence in the work that is being done by both Peel Regional Police and CMHA Peel Dufferin in working toward a Safer Community Together.”

About Canadian Mental Health Association, Peel Dufferin Branch

For over 55 years, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Peel Dufferin has been a pioneer in providing services for people with mental illness and educating Canadians about mental health issues. As the leading client-driven, community-based mental health organization serving the Region of Peel, North Etobicoke and Dufferin County, we are innovative partners in proactively strengthening individual support, and developing a responsive mental health system.

We support youth, adults and their families in the communities of Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga, Dufferin County, North Etobicoke and surrounding areas. We offer a variety of mental health programs and services and we are dedicated to helping people recover from mental illness, build resiliency and participate in the life of the community. We are committed to community development, mental health awareness and addressing the stigma surrounding mental illness