A Message from the Director
I strongly believe that the challenges that await our Directorate are major, as mental health needs continue to grow. No one is immune from mental illness. It is estimated that in Quebec, 20% of individuals will be affected over the course of their lives, and that less than half of this number will consult a professional. The WHO estimates that in 2020, depression will be the second-largest cause of illness and disability after cardiovascular disease. Many people will never receive a diagnosis.
Regarding addiction, certain behaviours and social problems remain of concern in the Quebec population, such as abuse of and addiction to alcohol, drugs and gambling. Psychoactive substance use is a complex problem in the Quebec population that can have harmful consequences for users and their families. Psychoactive substances alone are associated with over 80 illnesses and traumatisms.
Early addiction detection and intervention services, which aim to identify persons with at-risk behaviour, have been implemented in recent years.
The size of the homelessness problem in Quebec is difficult to measure, as persons experiencing homelessness do not stay in one place. There are 5,800 “visible” homeless persons, 54% of whom are found in Montréal. Members of First Nations make up 5.6% of the homeless population.
We must aim to calibrate our strengths and efforts to make CIUSSS West-Central Montreal the best CIUSSS at which to receive care, especially mental health and addiction treatment.
Once again, I wish to highlight and express my gratitude for the collective work of managers, clinical and medical staff, and users of the Directorate.
We may have excellent team members, all individually at the top of their fields, but imagine if we could integrate our skills in perfect harmony. If so, the sum of individuals could form a whole with exceptional power.
The Mental Health and Addiction Program Directorate: A partner in your health and well-being
Vicky Kaseka
Director, Mental Health and Addiction Program
A Message from the Department Head
The Mental Health and Addiction Program Directorate was created with Bill 10: Act to modify the organization and governance of the health and social services network, in particular by abolishing the regional agencies (April 2015). It performs and plans the work needed to offer quality care and services to the population on its territory.
The needs of our users and their families are changing. It is crucial to ensure that we are all working hand in hand, with a common vision and common goals for improving care and services.
Because we want our vision to reflect our mission and values, we made sure that the process of drafting this document was collaborative and guided by a collective process of reflection that involved the Directorate’s managers, staff and users.
We also wish to highlight the exceptional work of members of the Directorate in preparing this document. Specifically, we wish to thank Tung Tran, Director, who mobilized and engaged our teams and partners to conduct this work, and Émilie Fontenay, Associate Director, who provided us with guidance in our reflections.
We hope you find it an enjoyable read.
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.