Ontario is falling short in providing adequate mental health services for its children and youth, according to a report released Monday by the province’s auditor general, Shelley Spence.
In the report, Spence revealed that many children and youth in Ontario face significant barriers to accessing mental health services when needed, particularly in their local communities. “As one in five children and youth in Ontario will experience mental health challenges in their lifetimes, the Province needs to ensure young people and their families have timely access to the services and supports that government-funded agencies provide to help them through difficult times,” Spence stated.
The report highlighted that over half of the province’s 33 service areas lack adequate support for children with mental health needs. Only 13 of these areas offer live-in treatment for those with the most severe conditions, with wait times for such services averaging 105 days in 2023-2024, a slight increase from the previous year.
Additionally, the report found that 70% of youth mental health agencies surveyed said services do not meet the needs of young people dealing with both mental health and addiction disorders. Furthermore, 66% of agencies reported insufficient services for youth transitioning into adulthood.
The lack of access to secure treatment programs for children and youth at risk of harming themselves or others was also noted, with only three agencies in the Greater Toronto Area and eastern Ontario offering these critical services. Children and youth in other regions would have to travel long distances from their families to access such care.
Funding and Staffing Challenges
The auditor general’s report also pointed to a number of issues with the funding and management of youth mental health services. The transfer of oversight from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to the Ministry of Health (MOH) in 2018 has not led to improvements in service delivery, the report found. Youth mental health services are not always provided in an “evidence-based, timely, equitable, and coordinated manner,” and there are notable funding gaps in some areas of the province. However, surpluses in other regions totalled $66 million, with more than $64 million still uncollected due to inconsistent data collection by the MOH.
The report also found that the MOH lacks a clear strategy to address ongoing staffing shortages, which the ministry has acknowledged could lead to increased hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and longer wait times for care.
Ontario spends approximately $530 million annually on funding youth mental health services, but the report highlights inefficiencies that undermine the effectiveness of these funds.
Political Response
The findings prompted a strong reaction from the provincial Liberal Party. Mental health critic MPP Lee Fairclough criticized the Ford government’s handling of mental health care in the province, pointing to the long wait times for treatment. “It’s 105 days for the most intensive treatment services. And can you imagine being a parent or a child waiting three months to be able to get access to that kind of care?” she said, calling attention to the urgent need for reform.
Additional Report on Non-Municipal Drinking Water
In a separate report, the auditor general also raised concerns about the oversight of non-municipal drinking water, which affects nearly three million Ontarians. While most water samples from private systems meet provincial standards, Spence warned that not all systems are regularly tested, and compliance is rarely enforced by the province. The report noted that fewer than one-third of Ontarians with private wells test their water, exposing them to health risks such as gastrointestinal illness and potentially fatal diseases.
The auditor general’s reports highlight the need for urgent improvements in both mental health services for youth and the management of non-municipal drinking water systems in Ontario.
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