Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services in Ontario Act, 2016 Armstrong, Teresa J. — Bill 20 (41st Parliament, 2nd Session)

Bill 20, 41-2

Ontario — Bills

role="main" class="main-container container js-quickedit-main-content" id="main-content">

Bill 20, Improving Mental Health and Addictions Services in Ontario Act, 2016

Armstrong, Teresa J.

Please select

View bill

Status

Debates

Acts affected

Original

[41] Bill 20 Original (PDF)

Bill 20 2016

Act to continue the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council

and to amend the Ombudsman Act in respect of providers of mental health and

addictions services

Preamble

For

too long, mental health services in Ontario have not met the needs of all

individuals, families, and communities. The absence of a coherent mental health

system has left too many people to suffer, falling through the cracks and

unable to access the appropriate care and services they need.

address this mental health crisis and the toll it takes on our communities, the

Legislative Assembly of Ontario gave unanimous consent on February 24, 2009 to

a motion to appoint an all-party Select Committee on Mental Health and

Addictions that would consider and report its observations and recommendations

to improve access to mental health services in Ontario. The Select Committee's

final report was completed in August 2010.

The

Select Committee on Mental Health and Addictions heard many stories of distress

and agreed, unanimously, that more must be done. Specifically, the Select

Committee on Mental Health and Addictions recommended that a new umbrella

organization should be created to design, manage, and coordinate the mental

health and addictions system and ensure that programs and services are

delivered consistently and comprehensively across Ontario. The umbrella

and Santé mentale et dépendances Ontario in French and would be responsible

to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

date, the first recommendation of the Select Committee has not been

implemented.

communities across Ontario, mental health and addictions services remain

inadequate, underfunded, and under immense pressure to meet the needs of

individuals and families. Five years after the Select Committee delivered its recommendations

for change, Ontario must take steps to act upon these recommendations so as to

better coordinate and deliver mental health and addictions services in our

province.

Therefore,

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of

the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1. In

this Act,

"Council"

means the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council continued

under

section 2; ("Conseil")

"geographic area" means the geographic area of a local

health integration network within the meaning of the Local

Health System Integration Act, 2006 ; ("zone géographique")

"Minister" means the Minister of Health and Long-Term

Care or such other member of the Executive Council as may be assigned the

administration of this Act under the Executive Council Act .

("ministre")

Mental

Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council continued

(1) The

Council known as the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council in

consultatif pour le leadership en santé mentale et en lutte contre les

dépendances in

French established by the Minister is continued.

Membership

(2) The Council shall be composed of no

more than 19 persons who shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in

Council on the Minister's recommendation.

Chair

(3) The Minister shall designate one member

of the Council to be the Chair.

Term

(4) Members of the Council shall be appointed

for terms of two years and are eligible for reappointment.

Remuneration

and expenses

(5) The members of the Council may be paid

the remuneration and expenses the Lieutenant Governor in Council determines.

Transition

(6) For the purposes of subsections (2) and

(3), the Council's members and the Chair as of the day this Act comes into

force shall be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council within 14 days

after this Act comes into force and their term shall be counted beginning on

the day of their appointment.

Council's

mandate

(1) The

Council's mandate is to advise on and monitor the expeditious implementation of

the recommendations made by the Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly on

Mental Health and Addictions in its report released in August 2010.

Plan

for implementing first recommendation of Select Committee

(2) Within one year after this Act comes

into force, the Council shall submit a plan to the Minister with respect to,

(

a) the

expeditious establishment of a single body to be responsible for designing,

managing and coordinating the mental health and addictions system and for

ensuring that programs and services are delivered consistently and

comprehensively across Ontario; and

(

b) the

consolidation in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care of mental health and

addictions programs and services for all geographic areas and for all ages.

Same

(3) The plan shall include,

(

a) a

timeline for establishing a new umbrella organization that shall be known as

dépendances Ontario in French and that shall be responsible for designing,

managing and coordinating the mental health and addictions system and for

ensuring that programs and services are delivered consistently and

comprehensively across Ontario;

(

b) a

strategic plan respecting transitional matters in connection with establishing Mental

Health and Addictions Ontario;

(

c) a

recommended governance structure and accountability framework for Mental Health

and Addictions Ontario;

(

d) the

development of a framework for the improved delivery of mental health and

addictions services;

(

e) a

plan for improving centralized collection and provision of information

regarding the availability of mental health and addictions services;

(

f) a

complete inventory of mental health and addictions services and providers in

Ontario;

(

g) a

complete analysis of gaps, duplications and inequities in existing services in

each geographic area and as between geographic areas and a plan to remedy them;

(

h) an

assessment of existing provincial standards for mental health and addictions

service delivery; and

(

i) a

proposed budget for Mental Health and Addictions Ontario that would be

sufficient to remedy existing service gaps.

Recommendations

4. The

Council may make recommendations to the government with respect to improving

mental health and addictions services in Ontario, including recommendations,

(

a) to

reduce the incidence, severity and mortality of mental illness and addictions;

and

(

b) to

reduce stigma associated with mental health and addictions.

Annual

report

(1) The

Council shall prepare an annual report with respect to,

(

a) the

Council's progress on its mandate; and

(

b) the

government's progress on implementing the recommendations the Council may make

under

section 4.

Publication

(2) The Minister of Health and Long-Term

Care shall table the Council's report in the Assembly and shall publish it on a

Government of Ontario website.

Complementary

Amendment

6. The

Ombudsman Act is amended by adding the following

section:

Ombudsman

may investigate mental health and addictions services

14.0.1

(1) Anything

that the Ombudsman may do under this Act in respect of a governmental

organization, the Ombudsman may do in respect of a provider of mental health

and addictions services in Ontario.

Reference

to a governmental organization

(2) If the Ombudsman does or proposes to do

anything in respect of a provider mentioned in subsection (1), any reference in

this Act to a governmental organization shall be read as a reference to the provider.

Commencement

and

Short Title

Commencement

7. This

Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short

title

8. The

short title of this Act is the Improving Mental Health and

Addictions Services in Ontario Act, 2016 .

EXPLANATORY

NOTE

The

Bill continues the Mental Health and Addictions Leadership Advisory Council.

The Council's mandate, set out in

section 3 of the Bill, is to advise on and

monitor the expeditious implementation of the recommendations made by the

Select Committee of the Legislative Assembly on Mental Health and Addictions in

its report released in August 2010. The Council is required to submit a plan to

the Minister within one year with respect to matters related to mental health

and addictions set out in subsections 3 (2) and (3) of the Bill. The Council is

also empowered to make recommendations to the government with respect to

improving mental health and addictions services in Ontario.

The

Ombudsman Act is amended to permit the Ombudsman to

conduct investigations in respect of providers of mental health and addictions

services in Ontario.

Date Bill stage Activity Committee

September 21, 2016

First Reading

Carried

Debates and Progress

First Reading

September 21, 2016

Committee

Second Reading

Committee

Third Reading

Royal Assent

Acts affected - Bill 20

Most Ontario public acts are available electronically; to view copies of the Acts to be amended by this bill visit e-laws

Ombudsman Act

Legislative Assembly of Ontario

Was this page helpful? Yes , I found this page helpful. An optional survey will open in a new tab. No , I didn’t find this page helpful. An optional survey will open in a new tab.

Back to top

Document details

Collection	Ontario — Bills
Citation	Bill 20, 41-2
Type	bill
Volume / chapter	p41 s2 bill 20 html
Language	en
Format	html
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	bd29c4afd85e89cd65c8fa6e7c647b390997a584

Source file is stored in the law ingest library (html).