A culture change for mental health services in Outaouais

Mélissa Gélinas

The area health agency, CISSS de l’Outaouais, wants to improve mental health services by setting up a new program to speed up services and better direct people to the appropriate resources.

To do this, people who need help quickly will be able to speak directly with a worker (811, option 2) who can advise them and direct them to appropriate resources, if necessary. In this way, group interventions, psychotherapy services and more will now be easier to access.

The goal is to make maximum use of all available resources to compete against the high shortage of psychologists in the region. Multiple professionals such as psycho-educators, social workers, nurses and more are available to help people. In this way, it will help relieve congestion in hospitals that are often the first to receive people seeking mental health care.

In addition, since February 2024, people with mental health problems can obtain home services in Outaouais. To do this, a team of professionals will be able to provide follow-up services ranging from 6 to 12 weeks with daily and weekly meetings, depending on the patient's needs.

For more information on the program and on home mental health services, please visit: https://cisss-outaouais.gouv.qc.ca/