Stiles promises universal access to mental health care

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, pledged today to secure universal access to mental health care for everyone across Ontario.

“If there’s one thing that rings true all across this province, it is the need for mental health services,” said Stiles. “Universal access to mental health services is not just a nice-to-have, it is essential. Not giving the people of Ontario universal access to publicly funded and publicly delivered mental health care services is a massive failure of this government, and today, we are giving the Ford government an opportunity to change that.

“Today’s motion is about building the capacity we need to address the mental health crisis in our province. It's about investing in the success of the community and mental health sector so they can give people the tools to address mental health challenges early—before they reach crisis. We can make things better.”

On October 28, the Ontario NDP will table a motion that, if passed, would mandate the Ontario government deliver universal access to mental health care services like counseling and psychotherapy.

“I hear constantly from people in Windsor and across the province about how long they have to wait for health care and how expensive it can be,” said MPP Lisa Gretzky (Windsor West). “Investing in community-based mental health support is a necessity, and today we can make sure that everyone has access to affordable, quality mental health care, where and when they need it.”

“Nobody should ever have to choose between paying their bills and accessing life-saving mental health care, but that’s exactly the choice too many people in Ontario are forced to make,” said Stiles. “Mental health care is health care, and it’s time we treated it as such.”