Partnering Together to Build A Mentally Healthy

and Suicide Safer Ottawa: A Public Health Approach

Benjamin Leikin, Mental Health Project Officer, Ottawa Public Health

Joanne Lowe, Executive Director, Youth Services Bureau

Ian Wiseberg, Manager of Services, Crossroads Children Centre

November 20, 2012

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Outline Development of strategy Strategy Overview Key accomplishments Lessons learned Next steps Partners Presentation: YSB and

Crossroads Questions

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8% of Ottawa youth had seriously considered attempting suicide (OSDUHS, 2009).

Only 30% of Ottawa youth that rated their mental health as poor had seen a mental health professional in the last year (OSDUHS, 2009).

Local Picture of Children and Youth Mental Health at time of Development

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Local Picture of Children and Youth Mental Health at time of Development

Only 45% of grade 7 & 8 and 27% of grade 9 -12 students had rated their mental health as excellent (OSDUHS, 2009).

The highest rate of emergency room visits for self-harm is among females 15 and 19 years old in Ottawa (OPH Burden of Injury Report, 2010).

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Working Together Youth Services Bureau Crossroads Children Centre Royal Ottawa Hospital Children’s Hospital of EasternOntario (CHEO) Youth Net / Réseau Ado Max Keeping (CTV) Provincial Centre of Excellence

for Child and Youth Mental Health Canadian Mental HealthAssociation

Ottawa school boards and schools (both English and French)

Champlain LHIN Ottawa Distress Centre Centre for Addition and MentalHealth Children’s Aid Society Community Health and

Resource Centres Centre Psychosocial United Way

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Strategy Development

Reviewed policy recommendations, literature and best practices

Ontario Health Unit’s Mental Health Environmental Scan

Internal Ottawa Public Health Program Consultations

Local Partner Consultations

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Gaps in Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Services in Community

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Strategy and Priority Actions 2011-2014

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GoalsParental Engagement

Increase parents/ youth tools to identify early warning signs for mental health issues/suicide

Increase child mental health protective factors

Reduce risk-taking behaviours in youth

Tertiary Prevention

Trained, responsive staff

Increase access to crisis and mental health support services

Increase capacity of youth to seek crisis and mental health services

Community Engagement

Coordinated community approach to mental health / suicide prevention De-stigmatize mental health issues Raise awareness of determinants of health Develop/build caring and supportive environments for children and youth

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Community Engagement Partnerships-Community (Youth) Suicide Prevention Network -Ottawa Suicide Prevention Coalition-Student Support Leadership Initiative Capacity Building-Youth Net Knowledge Transfer-OSDUHS-OPH’s Burden of Injury Report -Physician’s Update

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OSDUHS Fact sheets

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Parental Engagement Early Child Health Screening Partnership-OPH Early Child Health PHN’s-Crossroads Children Centre-Centre Psychosocial

Healthy Transitions-OPH School Health PHN’s-OPH Youth Facilitators -English/French Public and Catholic School Boards

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Tertiary Prevention Increasing Access-Fund additional 1 day/week of Youth

Services Bureau mental health walk-in clinic

Suicide Safer-Provide suicide awareness and mental health

promotion workshops for OPH staff, community partners and Ottawa residents

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Measuring our Impact

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Key Accomplishments Implementing Healthy Transitions Beginning Early Child Health Screening

Partnership Increasing Access to Services Building suicide safer community Transferring knowledge

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Lessons learned REB challenges Partnerships key to success Stigma still a roadblock Public Health has role in mental health

promotion and suicide prevention

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Next steps

Build on success Continue monitoring trends Continue translating knowledge into

practice

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Partner Presentations Crossroad’s Children Centre

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Ottawa Public Health Partnership

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Partner Presentation Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa

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Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa

Impacting tomorrow, today

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Questions?

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Thank You!!!