OTTAWA, October 4, 2023 – More than 750 community leaders filled the EY Centre today raising over $670,000 in support of mental health care and research at The Royal.
The annual Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast presented by TechInsights brought together community leaders from all industries with one goal in common: to end the stigma around mental illness and provide critical funds needed for mental health care and research in our community.
With one in five Canadians having had, or living with, a mental illness in their lifetime, the need for more effective and accessible care is undeniable.
“Mental health and substance use health are integral and essential components of our overall health. Yet many people struggle to find help. This is what we are working to change. Along with partners across our health care system and people with lived expertise, we are challenging the status quo and tearing down systemic barriers so that access to care is simple and fast,” said Dr. Kim Corace, vice-president of innovation and transformation at The Royal. “We are identifying and addressing gaps in the system in a way that is bringing meaningful change to the system and, most importantly, ensuring that more people can get the help they need.”
“As we work to improve access to care, we are committed to ensuring that access leads to high quality, evidence-based, leading edge care,” continued Corace. “Through research, we are providing clients who have been struggling with mental health and substance use health disorders for years, even decades, with new treatment options that can change their lives. We are continually building knowledge and sharing that knowledge broadly. Research at The Royal is changing lives throughout our community, in other parts of Ontario, across Canada and around the world.”
While the mood at the breakfast was positive, there was a strong underlying feeling that our community’s mental health and substance use health truly suffered during the height of the pandemic and the need for adequate mental health and substance use health services has never been more important.
Before entering the room, guests navigated through a maze of staggering statistics highlighting the challenges often faced by those living with a mental illness or substance use disorder. The official program then focused on three key priorities at The Royal:
- Accelerating research into personalized care
- Driving successful outcomes for young people transitioning from the youth to the adult health care system
- Enhancing community-based access and capacity for mental health and substance us health care services
Following the program, mental health experts from The Royal filled the room and spoke to guests about the advances made possible through community support, and shared their vision for what’s possible when mental health care and research is brought to the forefront.
“Supporting The Royal creates so many opportunities for those living with a mental illness. It enables our team to not only be ready when someone needs us, whether at our main facility or through our community-based services, but also enables us to accelerate the incredible research taking place into more effective live-saving personalized care and to share that knowledge to improve care across the system. Mental health care shouldn’t be a cookie-cutter approach. Each individual is different and their care should reflect that. Community support makes this possible,” said Chris Ide, President and CEO of The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health.
This year’s Leaders for Mental Health Breakfast presented by TechInsights was proudly supported by the following sponsors: Accora Village, Calian, CIBC Fripp Advisory Group, CTV, EDC, EllisDon, Kelly Santini LLP, Minto, Modern Niagara, PCL Construction, The Malcomson Family
About The Royal
The Royal is one of Canada’s foremost mental health care, teaching, and research hospitals and is home to the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, the Brockville Mental Health Centre, the University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health and the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health. Our purpose is to expand access, hope and new possibilities for people with mental health and substance use health needs through the convergence of client and family-oriented care, science, education and lived expertise. Click here to learn more about The Royal, our services, and our impact.
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Media Contacts:
Karen Monaghan, Director of Communications
The Royal
karen.monaghan@theroyal.ca
613-868-3740
