Shortfalls identified in child and youth mental health system: Ontario auditor

Ontario’s auditor general said the Ministry of Health could more effectively plan and oversee the province’s mental health services for children and youth.

Auditor Shelley Spence released two reports today pointing to the flaws of the system and the safety of the non-non-non-non-drinking water system, although 98% of the samples met the standard over the past decade.

Spence found that in 2023-24, the waiting time for youth mental health treatment was 105 days, up from 94 days in the previous year, and the ministry has not yet conducted a comprehensive analysis of whether there is more space to benefit.

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Among community children and adolescent mental health agencies surveying the auditor’s office, about 70% said that the available services were not sufficient to meet the needs of children and adolescents with concurrent mental health and addictive disorders.

A spokesman for Health Minister Sylvia Jones said she has directed the ministry to use “any means necessary” to improve access to services as soon as possible.

The auditors made 22 recommendations, including establishing common wait time metrics and defining minimum expectations for core services, all of which the department has accepted.

On drinking water, auditors found that the government did not have an effective system to oversee all non-non-channel drinking water systems, including ensuring compliance, and the government has accepted improvement recommendations from all 17 auditors.