CMHA Ottawa welcomes historic investment for community mental health and addictions in 2023 provincial budget

Mar 24, 2023

The provincial government has allocated the largest base funding commitment for community mental health and addictions care in a decade as part of their 2023 budget.

The government announced Thursday that it is providing the sector with $425 million over three years for mental health and addictions, including a five per cent increase for base funding of community-based mental health and addiction services. The funding will serve to stabilize the sector, as requests for mental health and addictions support for adults have continued to rise across the province. This surge in demand for services has led to heavier workloads for staff and contributed to burnout and attrition.

“This budget commitment shows that the government understands the strain our sector is facing as we support Ontarians living with mental health and addictions challenges,” said Dr. Tim Simboli, Executive Director at CMHA Ottawa. “We are grateful for this critical investment, which will help us to maintain a high quality of care for the individuals we serve in our community.”

The budget also includes targeted funding for supportive housing as part of the government’s commitments. Evidence shows that supportive housing can help a person’s journey to recovery from even a severe mental health issue. With an estimated 25 to 50 per cent of homeless people living with a mental health condition, this issue is important to many communities throughout Ontario.

CMHA branches across the province have been advocating for structural funding to help meet an increased demand for service, with many attending pre-budget consultations held by the finance minister, his parliamentary secretary and the committee.

Learn more about the 2023 budget on the Government of Ontario website.