Thank you so much, and good afternoon. Thank you for this invitation to appear before the committee to support this timely study.

I very much want to thank Greg Sword for his powerful words, and for the courage that I know it took for him to come and share his story. I offer my condolences to him and the families across this country who have lost loved ones because of this toxic crisis.

The Canadian Mental Health Association delivers free front line community mental health substance youth health services in more than 330 communities across every province and Yukon, in rural, northern, and urban settings.

Community mental health and addictions care is a critical complement to physician and hospital-based care. Our services can range from mental health literacy and integrated youth hubs, case management and navigation, clinical counselling, addiction withdrawal management and treatment, stabilization units, supportive housing and mobile crisis teams, and help lines, including participating in the national 988 suicide distress line.

However, it is a constant struggle to meet the growing needs of Canadians, with long waiting lists for services across the country. Front line community health organizations sit outside the primary care system, a reality that is baked into the 40-year-old Canada Health Act, which only guarantees access for those struggling with mental health and addiction issues to emergency rooms, psychiatrists, and family doctors. It does not provide access to essential mental health and substance use health care provided by community organizations.

This means that most community-based mental health and substance use health services are not covered under provincial and territorial health insurance plans. As a result, we are underfunded and left to piece together short-term project funding and fundraising off the goodwill of Canadians who have the capacity to give. Further, community health organizations are often left out of crucial health care conversations with decision-makers.

There are also severe wage inequities for our staff, compared to hospitals and other health care centres. This, coupled with the long waiting lists, leads to high levels of burnout, low retention, and high turnover. Our workforce is exhausted, and grappling with moral distress, trying to respond with compassion and energy to a crisis that is worsening.

I've heard from frontline staff about the challenges they are facing in response to the toxic drug crisis. Across the country, they tell us about how their clients are ready to be in treatment, but they sit on a wait list for four months, because there are no publicly funded treatment options available. They tell me about their clients who are in recovery, but they relapse, because they don't have housing, let alone housing with wraparound supports. They tell me about the pain of losing multiple clients to opioid poisonings in just one week.

I believe that everyone in this room shares a common vision to ensure that our communities are safe places, where our families and friends can thrive. It is a vision that ensures there are supports for those who are struggling with mental illnesses and substance use disorders, so that they can get the help they need when they need it.

Of course, we want to respect jurisdictional areas of responsibility, but there are specific programs, policies, and legislation that you as federal decision-makers have the power to act on, so here are three.

Number one, most importantly, amend the Canada Health Act to explicitly include community-based mental health addictions and substance use health care services. Number two, earmark funding under the national housing strategy, specifically for transitional and supportive housing units. Individuals can receive the best possible addictions treatment, but if they don't have a place to call home, we are neglecting a foundation to their recovery. Number three, task Health Canada with coordinating a federal plan to address the crisis.

Our system can't rely on jails and hospitals. Our communities deserve better. Federal leadership is needed to coordinate a compassionate and integrated approach. The opportunity of this study is to bring mental health and addictions health care on par with physical health care. I urge you as federal legislators to act.

I'm joined by my colleague, Sarah Kennell, national director of public policy, who is in the room with you today. She is there to answer any questions that you might have.

Thank you so much for this time.

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