Approximately 15% of Canadian youth are affected by mental disorders requiring treatment; however, only approximately 20% access specialty mental health care services (1). Nationally, child and youth mental health policies and plans are largely absent, and ones that are available do not meet benchmarks established by the WHO (2). In response, the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada supported the development of a child and youth mental health framework for Canada, named the Evergreen Framework.
Evergreen is designed to act as a resource for provincial and territorial governments and institutions, and to assist them in the creation, implementation and review of mental health policies, plans, programs and services. Evergreen is not prescriptive. Rather, it provides an opportunity for policy makers, planners and providers to select among a variety of strategic directions depending on local conditions, local needs and fiscal realities.
Evergreen’s creation included several novel features: it may be the first national-level health framework created almost entirely using online technologies; it was co-written by national and international professionals working collaboratively with young people, parents and individuals with lived experience of mental health issues; and its creation was informed using qualitative research tools and methods. Online technologies were deemed effective and cost effective for national public consultations, committee communications and document creation.
Evergreen has six values underpinning specific strategic directions in the areas of promotion, prevention, intervention/ongoing care and research/evaluation. The document can be accessed online at www.teenmentalhealth.org/index.php/initiatives/evergreen or www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/Pages/ChildandYouth.aspx. A national distribution strategy is currently being created by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in collaboration with its Child and Youth Advisory Committee.
REFERENCES
- 1.Waddell C, Offord DR, Shepherd CA, et al. Child psychiatric epidemiology and Canadian public policy-making: The state of the science and the art of the possible. Can J Psychiatry. 2002;47:825–32. doi: 10.1177/070674370204700903. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 2.World Health Organization . Child and adolescent mental health policies and plans (Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package) Geneva: World Health Organization; 2005. [Google Scholar]