North West LHIN

The Community Care Information Management (CCIM) program’s HRIS project team at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has launched a new HRIS Quadrant Software Webinar for Community Mental Health and Addictions (CMH&A) and Community Support Services (CSS) organizations across the province.

The webinar reviews how to:

• implement the Quadrant (HR, Payroll, Scheduling and Self Service) software

• streamline back-office processes

• meet Ontario Healthcare Reporting Standards requirements

The North West LHIN has identified 11 priorities in its Integrated Health Services Plan (IHSP) for 2010-2013, organized across the three themes of ‘access to and integration of services’, ‘people of Northwestern Ontario’ and ‘Enablers’. Mental health and addictions is one of the identified priorities.

The IHSP outlines the LHIN’s objectives for mental health and addictions, to:

• Improve access to mental health and addictions services and make the system easier to navigate.
• Improve coordination of mental health and addictions services.

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recently released the LHIN Guide to Good Governance as a resource to provide guidance based on leading practices to LHIN Board members and other stakeholders.

The Guide reviews five topic areas:

• Leading practices in board governance
• Board member roles and responsibilities
• Board scenarios
• Board evaluations
• Checklists and policy documents

The North West Local Health Integration Network is investing $188,100 in 16 supportive housing units to help people living with addictions increase stability and security in their lives and reduce pressure on hospital emergency rooms.

Ontario is providing $16 million province-wide over three years to fund 1,000 supportive housing units for people with substance use issues. The program is targeted to help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and who may have one of the following characteristics:

• Repeat users of addictions treatment system;