Mental health system change: Bridging hospital and community mental health care

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which individuals realize their potential, cope with normal stress, and work effectively. Due to transitions of mental health care from psychiatric institutes to hospital- and community-based care, treatment of mental illness has suffered from fragmentation and poor connectivity between hospital care providers and community support programs. It is essential that the hospital and community are connected in order for patients to feel supported by their community at all stages of their recovery. Patients report that they need to feel like they are supported in the community to have hope for continued improvement. In order to tackle the problem of connecting the hospital and community to promote the recovery of people with severe mental illness, a team of four students, Re-MIND London, proposed an innovative solution suite. This involved creating a liaison between community and hospital, crafting a shared menu of resources, distributing information through education and samplers, having patients engage in community outings, and providing peer mentor support. In implementing this solution, we have helped rekindle connection between Parkwood Institute Mental Health Care and the Canadian Mental Health Association in London, ON at an administrative, staff, and patient level. In implementing parts of this innovative solution, our team learned self-empowerment to challenge the existing system. We are connecting individuals with mental illness and organizations to form strong and sustainable partnerships to help to reintegrate them into the community throughout treatment and recovery