Stepped Care 2.0: What makes it different?

Stepped Care 2.0© (SC2.0) is a transformative model for mental health and addictions services. Developed in Canada by Dr. Peter Cornish, the person-centred approach organizes and delivers evidence-based programming aligned with recovery principles. SC2.0 improves equitable access to a variety of wellness and mental health resources. Its framework enables the appropriate distribution of timely and accessible care, including the flexibility to meet people’s wide-ranging needs and preferences. In doing so, the model aims to find the right balance between wellness promotion, illness prevention, treatment intensity, and risk management.

Based on the Stepped Care in the U.K., SC2.0 was first implemented as a campus mental health framework at Memorial University. It was then scaled up provincially in Newfoundland and Labrador through a Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) demonstration project in Newfoundland and Labrador which showed the model contributed to a 68% reduction in wait times and was well received by both clients and providers.

SC2.0 is now being implemented in other provinces and territories through an MHCC partnership with Stepped Care Solutions, which provides support on SC2.0 implementation, training/consultation, project management, evaluation, and knowledge exchange.