North East LHIN
News Release
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Sudbury - More than 150 delegates from the Addiction and Mental Health Services fields are in Sudbury to attend a two-day Health Summit entitled "Coming Together - Developing an Integrated Addiction and Mental Health Services System for Northeastern Ontario."
The Summit is being hosted by the North East Local Health Integration Network (NE LHIN), in partnership with the Northeastern Ontario Addiction and Mental Health Service Providers Planning Group. Those in attendance include addiction and mental health consumers, board members, physicians, consultants, managers and directors. Summit organizers are encouraging all participants to share expertise by offering their thoughts and innovative ideas on effective integration of these services.
Health Summit Goals
Determining the best course of action for the integration of addiction and mental health services in Northeastern Ontario is the primary focus of this Health Summit.
The NE LHIN is actively requesting input from delegates in order to determine ways to successfully combine expertise and services to help deliver a stronger program of care. This is essential for the North at a time when hospitals are dealing with unprecedented numbers of alternate level of care patients and addiction and mental health patients who have been placed in acute care beds because there is no-where else in the community for these patients to receive care.
Mathilde Gravelle Bazinet, Chair of the North East LHIN, stated that, "The NE LHIN is beginning the planning process for the integration of addiction and mental health at this time. We are hosting this Summit so that we have the opportunity to listen and receive valuable input on the right ingredients for a successful integration plan."
Guest speakers include respected California Psychiatrist Dr. David Mee Lee, who will outline his experiences with successful integration plans for addiction and mental health services.
Marion Quigley, Executive Director of the Sudbury Branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association will share her thoughts on why the integration of addiction and mental health services is important. While Christine Bois, Concurrent Disorders Priority Co-Ordinator with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health will speak about provincial changes in her field during the past five years and how the provincial system is responding to the needs of people with concurrent disorders.
A panel on the opportunities for integration of addiction and mental health services in North East Ontario will be presented by:
* Marie Lloyd, Executive Director - Addiction Outreach Muskoka Parry Sound
* Bill Davies, Executive Director - Muskoka-Parry Sound Community Mental Health Services
* Marielle Cousineau, Executive Director - North Cochrane Addiction Services & Cochrane District Detox
A Health Summit agenda can be downloaded from: www.nelhin.on.ca
The North East LHIN is one of fourteen regional networks in Ontario created to plan, integrate and fund local health services. It is responsible for leading the transformation of the local health care system and works closely with over 200 health service providers including hospitals, the North East CCAC, long term care facilities and consumers and their families to integrate health care practices into a model that works for the people of North East Ontario.
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