1. Practice Informed Policy:
Mental Health Promotion
in Ontario’s Public
Health System
Tamar Meyer, Supervisor
Knowledge Exchange
Provincial System Support Program
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

2. Declaration of real or potential conflicts of interest
I have no real or potential conflict of interest related to the material that is being presented today.

3. 36 PHUs
They range in size from 630 to 266,291 square kms.
The smallest serves around 34K people dispersed over a geographic area as large as France, while the largest serves 2.8 M people concentrated within 630 square kms.

5. Provincial System Support Program, CAMH
Supports Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy, through system interventions.
Provides capacity and expertise in:
knowledge exchange
information management
implementation
coaching
equity and engagement
evaluation
Mention that Director, KE, Dr. Branka Agic is in here from PSSP; I’m provide subject overview of topic
PSSP, based at CAMH, offices across the province.
CAMH: Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in the area of addiction and mental health.
PSSP supports and helps implement CAMH’s Strategic Vision and Open Minds, Healthy Minds: Ontario’s 10-year Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy
Capacity and expertise in:
Knowledge exchange
Information management
Implementation
Equity and engagement
Evaluation
PSSP is supported through funding from MOHLTC, including the Population and Public Health Division to provide expertise, capacity building and support to health intermediaries in Ontario re: MHP and substance use prevention.
Supports health intermediaries including public health 5

6. 2012-13: Connecting the Dots Key findings:
MHP activities are driven by local need
Partnerships are a strong facilitator of MHP in public health
Health units require provincial guidance regarding public health’s role in mental health (clear mandate)
In 2012, in partnership with Public Health Ontario and Toronto Public Health, PSSP led a provincial survey and series of key informant interviews to identify public health activities.
Survey focused on children and youth activities to align with the Phase 1 focus of Ontario’s Comprehensive Mental Health and Addictions Strategy.
Involved a steerign committee of 4 PHUs to inform development, analysis and itnerpretation, and KE strategy.
CTD forum to socialize the results to Ministries

7. 2015-16: Pathways to Promoting Mental Health
Recommendations (2/5):
Establish a common understanding of MHP to inform cohesive, consistent and measurable strategies for promoting mental health across Ontario's PHUs, the public health sector and other sectors.
Establish evidence-informed guiding principles for integrating MHP in public health and support the public health workforce to implement MHP at the PHU level, across the public health sector and other sectors.
PPHD request – focus across the lifespan, 18+
Include recommendations.
Webinar to share results
Also, Involved a steering committee of 4 PHUs to inform development, analysis and itnerpretation, and KE strategy.

8. 2016-17: MHP in Public Health Community of Practice

9. 2018: Ontario Public Health Standards
“The role of boards of health is to support and protect the physical and mental health and well-being, resiliency and social connectedness of the health unit population, with a focus on promoting the protective factors and addressing the risk factors associated with health outcomes. “
Purpose and scope of standards:

10. Ontario’s first MHP guideline to support PH practice
Purpose:
To assist boards of health in considering mental health promotion within their processes for planning, implementing, and evaluating programs of public health interventions.
NOTE: Update image once MHPG is released. Send translated version to Pascale.
Roles and Responsibilities
Foundational Standards
5.1.1 Population Health Assessment
Health Equity
Effective Public Health Practice
Required Approaches
6.1 Embedding Mental Health Promotion Strategies and Approaches across Programs and Services
6.2 Offering Mental Health Promotion Programs and Services across the Life Course
6.3 Implementing Whole-Population and Community-Based Interventions

11. Thank you! 
Tamar Meyer Supervisor, Knowledge Exchange Provincial System Support Program
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Websites: