New CMHA campaign calls on candidates, Ontarians to Think of Your Someone this election

(Toronto, Feb. 10, 2025) – A new awareness campaign by the Canadian Mental Health
Association (CMHA), Ontario is urging all party leaders to think about those they love and care
about as they shape their platforms.

With the current crisis in mental health and addiction services, the agency has launched Think
of Your Someone, which calls on candidates to make meaningful commitments to ensure
everyone has access to the care they need.

Think of Your Someone also encourages voters to make mental health a key issue when they
head to the polls and to demand their representatives take immediate action to address the
crisis.

“Imagine someone you love is struggling with their mental health and needs help—fast. The
unfortunate reality is right now people across our province are waiting weeks, sometimes
months, for care,” said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. “As candidates prepare to
shape the future of our province, we ask them to think about how they would want the system to
work if it were their own family member or friend who needed support.”

The organization is drawing attention to the fact mental health issues do not discriminate—
anyone, at any time, can face mental health and addictions challenges. Data shows a drastic
increase in referrals for mental health services across the province. One report by Sun Life
reveals that insurance claims for mental health practitioners have more than doubled since
2019.

“Our frontline community mental health and addictions staff are essential to an efficient health
and social services sector, but they’re stretched to their limits,” Quenneville said. “We know our
province can do better, but it requires the leadership of all candidates to step up and put mental
health at the forefront of their campaigns.”
CMHA Ontario is calling on provincial election candidates to commit $153 million in this year’s
budget to community mental health and addictions services.

FAST FACTS:

• More than 80,000 Ontarians experienced homelessness in 2024. Homelessness has
  increased in the province by 50 per cent in the past eight years.
• There are between 2,500 and 3,000 opioid toxicity deaths annually in Ontario (around one
  death every three hours) largely due to the toxic, unregulated drug supply.
• Research shows for every dollar invested in covering psychological services in Canada, two
  dollars is saved for society over the long term.

About Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario is a not-for-profit, charitable organization
funded by the provincial government. We work to improve the lives of all Ontarians through
leadership, collaboration and continual pursuit of excellence in community-based mental health
and addictions services. Our vision is a society that embraces and invests in the mental health
of all people. We are a trusted advisor to government, contributing to health systems
development through policy formulation and recommendations that promote positive mental
health.

-30-

For more information, contact:
Elham Bidgoli
Communications Director, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
E: ebidgoli@ontario.cmha.ca