If you are in distress, you can call or text 988 at any time. If it is an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to your local emergency department.

Home › Resources › Summary Report: Experience and Expertise of People with Lived and Living Experience on the Integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Health Services in Canada

Summary Report: Experience and Expertise of People with Lived and Living Experience on the Integration of Mental Health and Substance Use Health Services in Canada

While integrated services for mental health and substance use health have been studied for more than two decades no recent or comprehen­sive reviews exist — particularly with a peer research methodology — on how the people who use these services experience integration.

To address this need, this study explores

  • how people with lived and living experience (PWLLE) define service integration,
  • what gaps and demands exist in mental health and/or substance use health services,
  • why participants do or do not support further service integration,
  • which systemic bottlenecks prevent meaningful integration, and
  • what characteristics participants considered important for effective service delivery.

At a time when Canada is establishing its first national standards of care on mental health and substance use health services, this report examines wide-ranging PWLLE experiences to inform its policy and practice recommendations for improving delivery, matching needs to services, and developing systemic incentives.

Download the PDF

Feedback Form

Hey, thanks for checking out this resource. After you’ve seen it, we’d love to learn a bit more about your interests and how you found us. Was the information what you looking for? Was it helpful? We’ll use any feedback you provide to further improve what we do.

Are you willing to be contacted within 3 to 6 months for a short follow-up survey?
In case of “Yes” – please provide an email address
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

SHARE THIS PAGE

RELATED

Join Canada’s First National Community of Practice for Community-Led Approaches to Suicide Prevention and Life Promotion
The National Community of Practice (NCoP) brings Roots of Hope communities together to engage in peer to peer support and connect representatives, researchers, regional stakeholders, and people with lived experience...
READ MORE

Standing Together: Men’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention in the Post-Secondary Environment
A 2022 Canadian Alliance of Student Associations study found that 75 per cent of all post-secondary students report negative mental health experiences, and more than 25 per cent rate their...
READ MORE

A Vision for Quality Mental Health Care for All
Mental health affects everyone, including health-care workers. This video tells the story of an individual who finds access to quality mental health care services — but only after an overwhelming...
READ MORE