More and more, people with mental illnesses are acting as advocates to promote their needs. The mental health care service delivery team does not work in isolation. Its success depends not only on each member, but also on the support it receives through a strong community infrastructure. Hospitals are a part of this infrastructure and are sometimes necessary for people with severe mental illness. They can be particularly effective when you need a safe, structured, non-stressful environment for intervention and treatment.
Doctors also have access to much more effective medication than they did many years ago.
Although this shift has taken place with some growing pains, hospitals are now playing a more and more active role in promoting and cooperating with community services. These services encourage and reinforce the efforts of family members and friends, and support you during the various stages of treatment. By emphasizing teamwork in service delivery, we make it easier for you and your family members to participate actively in decisions related to care, so that you can reach an optimal level of functioning, community integration, and quality of life. We are all part of the solution. One in five Canadians will suffer from some form of mental illness during the course of their life.