• Principal Investigator's Message
• Table of Contents

• Download Making a Difference (PDF, 527 KB)

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Principal Investigator's Message
Community Mental Health Provides Results

On behalf of all CMHEI investigators, research partners, and study participants, I am pleased to present Making a Difference: Ontario’s Community Mental Health Evaluation Initiative.

The report describes some of the key findings of the Community Mental Health Evaluation Initiative (CMHEI), the first-ever multisite assessment of community mental health programs in Ontario. The CMHEI is a partnership of the Ontario Mental Health Foundation; the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario; and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, which provided more than $3.5 million over six years to fund the project. Further analysis of the project data are ongoing, and this report will be followed by more findings and results over the coming months and years.

The research provides new, Ontario-based data on how community mental health is working. Project findings point to the effectiveness, value, and importance of community mental health; but there remain many opportunities for improvement and future research, and work is continuing in a number of areas. The report also reflects the project’s strong commitment to developing knowledge that will build the capacity of Ontario’s community mental health system and support informed, evidence-based decisions on programs, services, and policies.

A key goal of the CMHEI project is to communicate findings beyond the research community to service providers, consumers, and families; regional and provincial decision-makers; and policy developers. We hope that this report will help to inform and promote increased knowledge and awareness of community mental health. In addition, CMHEI project research findings have been, and will continue to be, published in scientific journal articles, presentations, and reports. The CMHEI website www.ontario.cmha.ca/cmhei is the best source of updated information about these communications products and vehicles.

I would like to thank all the project partners, principal investigators, researchers, study participants, and others for their contributions. The CMHEI has taken a large step in building the capacity and effectiveness of community mental health in Ontario.

Dr. Paula Goering
Principal Investigator

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Table of Contents

Principal Investigator's Message

1. The Community Mental Health Evaluation Initiative - Key Findings
2. CMHEI Overview
3. A Common Methodology
4. Who Is Using Community Mental Health Programs
1. Who is being served in programs for individuals with serious mental illness
2. Who is using family self-help
5. How Consumers Are Doing
1. What was learned about new ACT clients
2. What was learned about clients using ICM
3. What was learned about ongoing users of ACT
4. What was learned about crisis occurrence and recovery among ICM and ACT users
5. What was learned about members of CSIs
6. How family members using community-based self-help programs are doing
6. A Methods Study: Explaining Outcomes
7. Using CMHEI Research to Improve Practice
1. Helping clients to lead meaningful and productive lives
2. Understanding clients with co-occurring substance abuse and mental disorders
3. The role of self-help
4. Understanding investments in community mental health
8. Tools and Methods for Monitoring and Quality Improvement
9. Conclusion

Appendix 1
Appendix 2