Mission

To promote the continuing development of optimal psychiatric services in Ontario by enhancing the role and effectiveness of general hospital psychiatric services. The Association will increase the knowledge and skill of member hospitals. It will provide a co-ordinated and effective voice on issues relevant to the delivery of psychiatric services.

The Association will endeavour to achieve these aims through mutual support among members and effective liaison with government, allied health care associations and other services and programs, both institutional and community based.

Background

The establishment of the AGHPS, in 1982, was prompted by three factors:

• The recognition of the major role of general hospital services in providing psychiatric care in Ontario
• The identification of unique management issues in general hospital psychiatric services
• The realization that collectively general hospital psychiatric services lacked a distinct voice in provincial and local policy making

Since 1982, the AGHPS has actively represented and advocated for mental health professionals within General Hospital / Schedule 1 facilities. In all of our activities, the Association seeks to reflect the concerns and views of its members and to ensure that general hospital psychiatry is represented in policy and service planning.

Members

Our members are general hospitals / Schedule 1 facilities. Our Board of Directors is comprised of Chiefs of Psychiatry and Directors of Mental Health Programs throughout Ontario.

Within the general hospital, the psychiatric service was identified as unique. Its necessary concerns with psychosocial, community and chronic care make psychiatry/ mental health services very different from other medical services.

The essential core services provided by our members (general hospitals) are:

• Emergency services, including crisis services
• Short term inpatient assessment
• Stabilization and inpatient treatment
• Consultations, both to other services within the hospital and to the community, including family and consumer groups
• Day hospital services which provide intensive treatment while preventing inpatient admission and supporting early discharge
• Outpatient services, especially for:
  1. Patients whose psychiatric and medical care should be integrated
  2. Some seriously mentally ill patients who require multiple hospital services treatment and
  3. Patients whose care would be fragmented by the involvement of an additional service provider

Current Membership

• Baycrest Hospital
• Bluewater Health
• Brockville General Hospital
• Grand River Hospital
• Grey Bruce Health Services
• Halton Healthcare Services
• Health Sciences North
• Humber River Regional Hospital
• Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance
• Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital
• London Health Sciences Centre
• Mackenzie Health
• Montfort Hospital
• Niagara Health System
• North Bay Regional Health Centre
• North York General Hospital
• Peterborough Regional Health Centre
• Ross Memorial Hospital
• Sault Area Hospital
• Scarborough Health Network
• Southlake Regional Health Centre
• St Joseph’s Care Group Thunder Bay
• St. Joseph's Health Care System Hamilton
• St. Thomas Elgin Hospital
• Sunnybrook Hospital
• The Ottawa Hospital
• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences
• Timmins & District Hospital
• Trillium Health Partners
• Unity Health Toronto
• University Health Network
• Waypoint Centre for Mental Health
• William Osler Health Centre
• Windsor Regional Hospital