Mental health parity and transfer

AI summary

Petitioners ask government to legislate parity for mental health, fund culturally appropriate community mental‑health and substance‑use services, and create a Canada Mental Health Transfer with $4.5B. The government responds it is funding services bilaterally.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA Whereas : Canada is experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. And whereas : Too many Canadians are unable to access mental health or substance use supports in a timely manner. Lack of access to community-based mental health and substance use services increases demands on hospital emergency rooms and primary care providers. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness carries significant social and economic costs. Therefore, we the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Legislate parity between physical and mental health in Canada's universal public healthcare system; 2. Ensure timely access to evidence-based, culturally appropriate, publicly funded mental health and substance use services beyond hospital and physician settings; and 3. Establish the Canada Mental Health Transfer to sustainably fund the provision of mental health and substance use services and disburse an initial investment of $4.5 billion to the provinces and territories.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Supporting mental health is central to this Government’s mandate. When people are supported and care is within reach, we build a country able to weather hardship, navigate uncertainty, and rise to challenges ahead. That is the vision of Canada we are working toward. And that vision rests on the health care system Canadians have built together: Medicare. The Canada Health Act reflects the values at its core — protecting, promoting, and restoring physical and mental well-being, and ensuring access to medically necessary care without financial or other barriers. That protection ensures that when someone is in crisis, cost will never stand in the way of care. But mental health care must extend beyond hospital walls — into communities, closer to home, and earlier in their journey. That is why we are working with provinces and territories to change the way the health care system delivers mental health services to Canadians. As part of a $200 billion, 10-year investment beginning in 2023–24, the federal government has signed bilateral agreements with all 13 provinces and territories. This funding includes $25 billion for shared priorities, such as mental health and substance use services, both sustaining Medicare’s promise and expanding its reach. In 2023-24, Working Together bilateral agreements were signed with all provinces and territories to provide $9.3 billion over 3 years (except Quebec, which has a 4-year agreement) to flexibly support one or more of the shared health priorities based on the unique needs of their population and geography; these agreements include $1.8 billion over 3 years from a Budget 2017 investment to improve access to mental health and substance use services. Funding provided through these bilateral agreements is helping to support the integration of mental health and substance use services within the health system, enabling access to comprehensive care for Canadians, when and where they need it. All provinces and territories included mental health and substance use activities in their action plans as part of these bilateral agreements. Bilateral negotiations are currently underway with the provinces and territories on renewed Working Together agreements, which will continue to provide jurisdictions with the flexibility to invest across the shared health priority areas in accordance with the needs of their respective populations, including mental health and substance use. Through the Youth Mental Health Fund, the federal government is further investing $500 million over five years to support community-based organizations to expand the mental health care services they offer to youth. This funding helps organizations increase capacity, address service gaps, and better integrate youth mental health supports within the broader health care system. A specific stream of investment is driving the scale and spread of Integrated Youth Services (IYS) hubs in jurisdictions across the country. IYS is an evidence-based early intervention model for youth aged 12 – 25 and their families that brings together a broad range of supports, including mental health, substance use care, primary care, education, employment, and housing services, under one roof. There are currently more than 125 active IYS sites and about 50 more in development. According to the most recent data available from the Canadian Institute for Health Information, IYS hubs across four provinces (Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia) recorded more than 221,000 visits from more than 46,000 unique youth in 2023-2024, representing a 35% increase in visits and a 28% increase in the number of youth (per 100,000) from the year prior. Through this funding, the federal government is also supporting a new IYS Collaboration Centre to make it easier for provincial and territorial IYS networks to work together and coordinate efforts, such as sharing of best practices and training clinicians to offer consistent, high quality mental health supports across jurisdictions. In addition, through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the government has supported the IYS Network of Networks initiative, including a National IYS Data Platform. Together, these investments enhance collaboration among IYS networks and provide timely, accurate data to inform service improvements and advance youth mental health and substance use care across Canada. With respect to substance use services, the federal government is committed to continued action using a broad range of tools to reduce overdose deaths and substance-use related harms. Guided by the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), and Canada’s Border Plan, the federal government is taking a comprehensive approach to addressing substance use and related harms, centered on promoting public health and protecting public safety. This whole-of-government effort includes supporting timely access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services, building the evidence base through research and surveillance activities, and ensuring strong substance controls. Examples of how the CDSS, in particular, will continue to guide the government’s work to save lives and protect the health and safety of Canadians, include: Supporting a full continuum of evidence-based and vital services and supports to save lives and help people who use drugs access treatment and recovery supports, investing in public education, opioid prescribing guidance, and community-based programs to prevent the initiation of drug use; Working with stakeholders to reduce stigma around substance use, which acts as a barrier to accessing critical health and social services and leads to social isolation, poorer quality of care, negative health outcomes and further risk of harms for the individual and the community; Continuing to address the illegal production and trafficking of illegal drugs, with a focus on organized drug crime; and, Implementing additional surveillance and research activities that will allow us to continue to monitor the evolution of the illegal drug crisis and further build the evidence base on what works and allow the federal government to pursue effective solutions to this crisis. Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) provides support to municipalities and Indigenous communities to rapidly respond to emergent, critical needs related to the illegal drug crisis. Since 2024, and as of May 2026, Health Canada has provided over $126 million through the ETF to more than 125 projects supporting Indigenous communities and municipalities across Canada. Health Canada launched a new Call for Proposals (CFP) for the ETF that closed on November 4, 2025. New projects selected for funding through the latest CFP will be announced over the coming months. ETF funding supports activities such as crisis and peer-led outreach, access to mental health and other wraparound supports; cultural and community-based programming; harm reduction and overdose prevention initiatives; training and education; and efforts to reduce barriers to treatment and recovery services. The Fund is designed to be flexible and responsive to the urgent needs of communities. This builds on previous investments, including: The Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP); and The Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (YSUPP) Our government is taking concrete steps to ensure that mental health services and supports are gender-responsive—recognizing and addressing how gender roles, inequities, and biological differences influence both access to care and health outcomes. As part of this effort, Health Canada invested in the development of a first-of-its-kind National Clinical Practice Guideline for Perinatal Mood, Anxiety, and Related Disorders, designed to support providers in delivering high-quality care. Complementing this, a patient and family guide titled “Seeds of Hope” was created to help new and expectant parents better understand their symptoms, explore treatment options, and make informed decisions in partnership with their healthcare providers. Both resources, published in February 2025, have been downloaded more than 50,000 times from the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry platform, reflecting strong demand among clinicians and families. Our government also recognizes that mental health challenges affect men and boys differently, including higher suicide rates, significant barriers to seeking help, and the impacts of traditional masculine norms. That is why, in February 2026, the Minister of Health launched a national conversation on men’s and boys’ health to inform the development of Canada’s first federal Men and Boys’ Health Strategy. Through this national engagement, Health Canada has already heard from thousands of Canadians, who have highlighted key concerns about mental health, substance use and addiction, caused by factors such as social isolation, unhealthy masculine norms, and trauma. Health Canada also heard that solutions should prioritize preventive and upstream supports, particularly in schools, workplaces, and community, sports, and recreational spaces. This engagement builds on earlier discussions with stakeholders, including a roundtable that took place in November 2025 focused on men and boys’ mental health. By working with provinces and territories and stakeholders to make mental health a fundamental part of health services in Canadian health systems, we are building a more resilient Canada, ready to meet the challenges ahead together.