Mental health and addictions

A message from the Director, Mental Health and Addiction Programs

The mandate of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Programs (DMHAP) is to provide strong leadership with respect to a number major issues that involve mental health, addiction and homelessness, while taking into account the needs of users and caregivers at our facilities. These issues require concerted, interdisciplinary actions between the directorates and the various clienteles, in addition to other actions that have been planned within the continuum of our services.

Our first responsibility is to ensure the access, quality and efficiency of mental health services, with a focus on recovery among our younger and adult clients. In addition, efforts must be made to prevent addiction and to promote information about the related risks, while supporting the reintegration of people who are unhoused or at risk of experiencing homelessness. This responsibility is supported by a culture of ongoing improvement that has been imbued with high-quality standards.

We collaborate closely with all community partners who have a mandate in mental health and addiction (or who contribute to them), including organizations dedicated to integration and employment, as well as well as educational institutions.

Our service offer includes Aire ouverte, where young people between the ages of 12 and 25 can safely receive various services pertaining to their physical and mental health and well-being.  

In addition, we feel it is essential to emphasize that none of this would be possible without the commitment of our teams and the collaboration of our medical partners, who dedicate themselves daily to providing “Care everywhere”!

Let’s stay united for everyone’s well-being!

Giovanna Cocco
Director, Mental Health and Addiction Programs

A Message from the Department Head

Mental illness affects all social, cultural and demographic groups, causing profound effects on individuals, families and communities. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, in any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will personally experience a mental health problem or illness. By age 40, about 50% of the population will have experienced a mental illness.

At CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, the goal of our Mental Health Program is to provide a comprehensive range of services for our users. This ranges from mental health consultations with primary care clinicians to having access to secondary care clinical services and specialized treatment programs. We are also a major center for the training of mental health professionals and leaders in mental health research. In collaboration with our service users and invaluable community partners, we strive to reduce the stigma of mental illness and provide a pathway to recovery for those who are suffering.

Karl Looper
Psychiatrist-in-Chief

Mental Health Awareness

The personal stories told in this video were shared with us by real people who have either directly or indirectly lived through mental illness. Their words, deep and captivating, remind us that mental health problems can affect us at any moment, no matter who we are, where we live, and who we know. But, more importantly, there is hope. Help is available.

Thanks to Andrew, Isabelle, Lynn and Yvon who openly tell us about their inspirational journey on World Mental Health Day at CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, it’s impossible not to feel touched, empowered and encouraged by what they have to say.

Video
Mental Health: True Stories

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