Canadian Approach to Integrated Care

Abstract

This chapter describes the evolution of collaborative mental health care in Canada over the past 15 years, and the ways in which integrated care is becoming an increasingly integral part of Canada’s provincial and territorial healthcare services. It explores the underlying principles and models that can be found across the country. There is a particular emphasis on three things: (1) changes any mental health service can make to improve collaboration, (2) programs to increase the mental health skills and capacity of primary care, and (3) the integration of mental health services within primary care.A program in Hamilton, Ontario, has successfully integrated mental health counselors and psychiatrists into the offices of 170 family physicians across a city of 500,000 people for the past 20 years. The authors present data from the program’s evaluation, as well as key lessons learned and advice for other programs looking to set up similar models.