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Health News For South West

Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
Helping Youth with Eating Disorders Get Care Closer to Home

Ontario Creating First Public Residential Treatment Program for Children and Youth

Ontario is helping more children and youth with eating disorders get the treatment and care they need to recover closer to home.

The province will open its first public residential treatment program for children and youth with eating disorders at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby this fall. The program will have 12 beds and treat approximately 32 patients annually.

Patients will soon be able to get 24-hour care in Ontario instead of being referred to programs in the United States. This means more families can be close by to support their recovery and patients will continue to have access to Ontario's health care services and schools.

Providing treatment for children and youth with eating disorders supports Ontario's Action Plan for Health Care by delivering the right care, at the right time, in the right place. This is also part of the government's economic plan that is creating jobs for today and tomorrow by focusing on Ontario's greatest strengths - its people and strategic partnerships.

Quick Facts:

Ontario is providing $17.2 million over four years toward a residential treatment program for children and youth with eating disorders, including support for building improvements and staff training.
Ontario currently provides more than $25.7 million annually to Local Health Integration Networks to deliver eating disorders treatment programs across the province.
This new program will dramatically reduce the need to send Ontario children and youth out of country for care. Ontario currently refers approximately 25 children and youth per year to residential treatment for eating disorders at private facilities in the United States.
Treatment costs for high quality care at Ontario Shores will be $918 per patient per day, compared with an average of $1285 per patient per day for out of country care.
Eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia are serious mental health conditions, which have the highest mortality rate among any other mental illnesses.

Learn More:

Quotes:

"Our government is proud to help children and youth with eating disorders get care closer to home through this new program – the first of its kind in Canada. Instead of referring children and youth in Ontario with severe eating disorders to residential care facilities in the United States, we will provide care closer to their families and get better value for our precious health care dollars."

— Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

"With this program, children and youth with eating disorders will now have access to ground-breaking and life-saving health care close to home. As part of our ‘Comprehensive Mental Health and Addiction Strategy’ we’re committed to delivering what children and youth need, when they need it, as close to home as possible."

— Teresa Piruzza, Minister of Children and Youth Services

"As one of Ontario’s four specialty psychiatric hospitals and a leader in providing high quality mental health services, Ontario Shores is well placed to provide this program and help youth with eating disorders on the path to recovery and wellness."

— Karim Mamdani, President and CEO, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences

"Eating disorders are serious, potentially life threatening disorders. Opening this new program in Ontario is an important and exciting step forward to increase access to care and help children and adolescents receive the specialized treatment they need, closer to home."

— Dr. Leora Pinhas, Physician Lead, Eating Disorders Program, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences

Media Contacts:

David Jensen
Communications and Marketing Division
416-314-6197
media.moh@ontario.ca

For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline
1-866-532-3161
(Toll-free in Ontario only)

Media Line
Toll-free: 1-888-414-4774
GTA: 416-314-6197
media.moh@ontario.ca

Samantha Grant
Minister’s Office
416-326-4905