Collaborating across sectors to strengthen connections and establish integrated care pathways is one of our highest priorities. Care pathways help guide children, young people and families through their care journey by connecting them to the right services at the right time and in the right way.

Why integrated care pathways matter

Families can feel overwhelmed when looking for mental health support and substance use or addictions care for their children, no matter their age. Many first turn to their family doctors or visit emergency departments, but even primary care providers may struggle to connect families to the care they need without clear pathways between clinical and community-based care settings. Many other partners – like schools and early learning centers – also play a vital role in integrated care pathways by supporting mental health promotion, early identification of challenges and timely intervention.

What are integrated care pathways?

Integrated care pathways are clear plans developed and implemented by partners in different care settings to indicate which services are available, including details on where, when and how to access them. They are designed to be accessible, efficient and effective.

How do integrated care pathways help? 

A coordinated approach to mental health, substance use health and addictions care helps families navigate the care system and improves continuity of care, both of which contribute to better mental health outcomes for children and young people. This doesn’t just make things better for families in the present because early identification and timely intervention can often prevent challenges from becoming more complex or continuing into adulthood. This means brighter futures for families – and fewer service and resource demands over time.

Collaborating across sectors

Supporting our sector and other partners to develop, implement and improve integrated care pathways is a theme across many areas of our work, from our Innovation initiatives and impact grants to our quality improvement program, Quest. We also work directly with partners in various care settings on several pathway projects: