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E-Mental Health Strategy

An E-Mental Health Strategy for Canada In response to the burgeoning use of e-mental health (e-MH) solutions and resources in Canada, the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) developed the first E-Mental Health Strategy for Canada, building on the MHCC’s Changing Directions, Changing Lives: The Mental Health Strategy for Canada and lessons learned from successful e-MH initiatives established around the world.

The MHCC initiated a national consultation among leaders, policy makers, researchers, practitioners, and user representatives with lived and living experience involved in e-MH services at all levels. Their input supported the development of a “guiding star” document to highlight priorities for use in charting the future direction and development of e-MH in Canada.

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This strategy is the result of a three-phased approach.

Phase 1 included a comprehensive literature review and collaborator interviews with practitioners, health leaders, researchers, and people with lived and living experience.

In Phase 2, the priorities and recommendations were developed by the advisory committee and working group members, and shared with the MHCC’s e-MH Collaborative members to confirm all the priority issues and actions that a strategy should address.

In Phase 3, these groups and other experts were engaged to validate the final content. 

Collaborators identified the following priority issues to be addressed in planning and implementing the future course of e-MH services in Canada:

  • Priority 1:
    Improve perception, awareness, and engagement in e-MH.
  • Priority 2:
    Develop resources for evaluating the effectiveness of e-MH solutions and programs.
  • Priority 3:
    Address the quality of e-MH solutions and services, including privacy and data protection concerns.
  • Priority 4:
    Reduce barriers and address system challenges to e-MH solution adoption.
  • Priority 5:
    Embed IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility) principles in all e-MH development, tools, and delivery.
  • Priority 6:
    Support the mental health workforce to integrate e-MH into their practice.

The experts consulted on this strategy identified the following recommendations to address the challenges and issues described in the priority areas:

  • Recommendation 1
    Advance the development and promotion of a readiness assessment tool for service providers.
  • Recommendation 2
    Develop and launch comprehensive e-MH training for the mental health workforce.
  • Recommendation 3
    Advance and promote a best-practice guideline for using e-MH tools.
  • Recommendation 4
    Increase safety with the use of artificial intelligence in mental health care.
  • Recommendation 5
    Develop a national mental health app library.
  • Recommendation 6
    Establish a champions network.
  • Recommendation 7
    Develop a navigation site and public awareness campaign for quality e-MH solutions.
  • Recommendation 8
    Leverage e-MH to support the continued utilization of interdisciplinary health-care teams, including mental health professionals.
  • Recommendation 9
    Consider the role of e-MH in Canada’s high-speed bandwidth initiatives.
  • Recommendation 10
    Invest in the development of e-MH solutions for a spectrum of intensity of services.
  • Recommendation 11
    Allow for e-MH solutions in all funding models for provincial and territorial health systems.
  • Recommendation 12
    Advance interoperability of mental health data between providers and personal data ownership.

It is the MHCC’s hope that the priority issues and recommendations presented in this strategy will provide a blueprint for the future development and adoption of e-MH in Canada. Governments and mental health organizations can use the strategy in shaping their next steps and strategic plans around e-MH. They can also use it to set their own priorities, as a guide for investing in infrastructure to support e-MH, and as a lever for seeking additional resources for e-MH.

Download E-Mental Health Strategy

Download The PDF

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