CMHA Thames Valley faces $2.6 million deficit, looks to slash 30 full time jobs

200 Queens Avenue in London, offices for CMHA TV (Source: CMHA Thames Valley)

Despite restructuring and reducing staff, CMHA Thames Valley Addiction and Mental Health Services (CMHA Thames Valley) says that without increased funding, it will not be able to maintain service levels.

"While our financial constraints have minimally impacted service provision to date, we foresee greater impacts in the future," CEO Pam Tobin emphasized. "We continue to work with funders and partners to advocate for permanent, adequate funding. Without additional investment in community-based care, we risk longer wait times, increased pressure on emergency services, and reduced service delivery during a worsening opioid crisis."

CMHA Thames Valley CEO Pam Tobin (Source: CMHA Thames Valley)

CMHA Thames Valley is currently calling on the province to increase funding in the mental health an addiction sector – a wise investment, as the services that CMHA Thames Valley offers help to relieve burdens on other service providers, providing educational, peer support, wellness and crisis support services among others. Its crisis centre in London also serves as a location for ambulance drop off for those in crisis, diverting those individuals away from local emergency departments.

Over 15,000 people walk through its doors every year, and last year, CMHA Thames Valley recorded over 43,000 phone based interactions for those calling crisis and support lines.

“We know our services are needed,” says Tobin. “Not only by the individuals we serve, but by the community at large. Our services lessen the strain on other systems and we are working diligently to ensure our low-barrier access is not disrupted and quality of care remains high.”

Despite total revenues of $52.5 million last year, CMHA Thames Valley was short $2.6 million despite a five per cent increase in base funding – the first sizeable boost in a decade.

Unfortunately, growing operational costs, and ever increasing demand for their services has far outpaced its ability to stay within their budget, and that funding shortfall means CMHA Thames Valley will have to slash 30 full time jobs across the region without changes to that funding model.

"Community-based care is often paid up to 30% less than other healthcare settings," said Tobin. "Our staff are performing increasingly complex work with a growing demand for services, and they deserve fair compensation."