Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

At some point in the life of every Albertan they are touched by mental illness and addiction. Released in February 2016, an Alberta report (co-authored by Dr. David Swann) on addictions and mental health, highlights the system changes which are critically needed to reduce wait times, improve quality care, and reduce the cost of our current systems of care. Psychiatrists do play a vital role dealing with severe mental illness along with teams of supporting professionals. However, it’s clear that the great majority of mental health and addictions issues could and should be handled by other professionals, including psychologists, family physicians, and their teams. Furthermore, to improve patient outcomes, there must be a shift of resources upstream into prevention efforts with individuals, families, and communities at risk. Without a dramatic shift in the planning and allocation of resources to identify and reduce risk factors earlier and prevent breakdown, the human and financial toll will continue to rise in