This petitions goal is to improve access to psychotherapy for residents of Renfrew County and Ontario by expanding the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy to support individuals with high support needs. 

Here's why, and how I propose we achieve this change. 

I am a 40-year-old autistic woman who has been diagnosed with anxiety, CPTSD, PTSD, and ADHD. Like many others with mental health challenges, I am struggling with the burden that mental health struggles pose every single day. 

Here in Renfrew County, Ontario, and across our province, there are millions more individuals like me, facing similar hardships due to inadequate access to mental health supports. 

The current Ontario Structured Psychotherapy (OSP) program is great for individuals with low support needs, only it discrimates against those who require intensive psychotherapy.

Too many of us have been left behind, our mental health deteriorating as we struggle with the daily reality of insufficient or inaccessible support systems.

The issue: Adequate mental health supports are inaccessible due to financial constrait, causing a further strain and burden to individuals, those who love them, their employers and local hospitals.

The proposed solution: allow local health care teams to identify qualified candidates, and allow individual psychotherapists to direct bill OSP. This provides access to immediate and high-quality support and quickly shortens the backlog, rather than face added stress navigating bureaucracy and financial constraits. Meeting the patient where their needs are at and avoiding the cruelty of a two year wait for only 10 free sessions from the local hospital. 

Mental health is a daily reality that we must all face together.

As per Statistics Canada 1 in 3 women with a mood, anxiety or substance disorder lack adequate access for their counselling needs in Ontario. For a substantial number of these individuals, intensive psychotherapy is not a luxury but a necessity.

We direct this appeal at health officials and politicians, particularly at Mr. Mike Tibollo the Associate Mental Health Minister of Ontario.

Re-evaluate the system and take impactful action today. Extend the Ontario Structured Psychotherapy program to adequately accommodate individuals with high support needs. Allow immediate access to services upon depletion of employer benefits and for those who lack this coverage. Ask yourself, what is the cost if this change is not supported?

Mental health is health. Take action today and reduce the wait lists, and get people the help today that we needed yesterday. Tomorrow is too late.

I encourage you to Email your concerns directly to Mike Tibollo at mike.tibollo@ontario.ca

Sincerely,

Lyndsey Hart & fellow Ontario Constituents.