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It's Not About Us: The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada
It's Not About Us is a guide to improving the client experience with the mental health and addiction system across Canada. It examines the traditional and current pathology-oriented medical model within which all of our services are built. It looks at the ways in which that model prevents the transformation we need if we want to really change our system. This book presents a new way to think about what it means to be client-centered, not only at an individual level, but also at the level of system design and operation. It is based on compelling principles and a real success story - a program in Nova Scotia that transformed its way of providing service, according to a new way of defining and understanding what it means to be client-centered. This program significantly improved quickness and ease of access for clients, and also enhanced its capacity to prevent addictions and mental illness.
In Canada, many have tried to improve services. They have instinctively called for more money and more therapists and psychiatrists, or have focused on improving clinical skills of staff. Unfortunately, that simply perpetuates more of the same problematic approach, one that has repeatedly failed to address the concerns of the clients and the public.
What has not yet happened is the one fundamental thing that is required. We need to change the perspective used to design all components of the system. We need to replace our traditional model that is designed from an expert and management-focused viewpoint, and start to look at the system the way clients and the public see and experience it. If you or a loved one have been affected by addiction and mental health issues, and have tried to or wanted to advocate for change in the system, this book will help you know how to do that. If you work in the mental health and addiction system in Canada, this book will help guide you through a more fundamental change than we have seen in many decades.
It is time for change ... and this is a call to action.
In Canada, many have tried to improve services. They have instinctively called for more money and more therapists and psychiatrists, or have focused on improving clinical skills of staff. Unfortunately, that simply perpetuates more of the same problematic approach, one that has repeatedly failed to address the concerns of the clients and the public.
What has not yet happened is the one fundamental thing that is required. We need to change the perspective used to design all components of the system. We need to replace our traditional model that is designed from an expert and management-focused viewpoint, and start to look at the system the way clients and the public see and experience it. If you or a loved one have been affected by addiction and mental health issues, and have tried to or wanted to advocate for change in the system, this book will help you know how to do that. If you work in the mental health and addiction system in Canada, this book will help guide you through a more fundamental change than we have seen in many decades.
It is time for change ... and this is a call to action.
284 pages, Paperback
Published October 14, 2016
6 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 10, 2022
Update: I had the immense pleasure of working directly with Todd across 3 days in a workshop designed to change our POV from client-centered care to client-centered SYSTEMS. How do we change the systems and silos in which we work to become more client-focused?
Intelligent, kind, down-to-earth, (com)passionate is just a fraction of the adjectives that can describe Todd. Because of lived and living experience, Todd has a stake in what he’s wanting to change and I think this is also true about so many in helping professions. The work done to and in our organization excites me and makes me feel empowered to create lasting, effective change.
I read this book in anticipation of Mr. Leader coming to do professional development training for the organization I work for. I appreciate the strategies and tips throughout the book for both leadership/management as well as for advocates/clients/friends/family members of people who come into contact with the mental health and addictions systems. I believe that more people in the health care system need to read this book and seriously take into consideration the fact that what we do is not for our personal benefit (or it shouldn't be anyways...) but for the benefit of our clients. The old way of pathologizing mental illness and substance use is clearly not working so why continue beating a dead horse and keeping things the status quo?
Intelligent, kind, down-to-earth, (com)passionate is just a fraction of the adjectives that can describe Todd. Because of lived and living experience, Todd has a stake in what he’s wanting to change and I think this is also true about so many in helping professions. The work done to and in our organization excites me and makes me feel empowered to create lasting, effective change.
I read this book in anticipation of Mr. Leader coming to do professional development training for the organization I work for. I appreciate the strategies and tips throughout the book for both leadership/management as well as for advocates/clients/friends/family members of people who come into contact with the mental health and addictions systems. I believe that more people in the health care system need to read this book and seriously take into consideration the fact that what we do is not for our personal benefit (or it shouldn't be anyways...) but for the benefit of our clients. The old way of pathologizing mental illness and substance use is clearly not working so why continue beating a dead horse and keeping things the status quo?
March 19, 2017
An excellent "how-to" about changing the current medical/pathology oriented paradigm of health care and addictions services in Canada to a client-centered one. This was actually accomplished by the author in Nova Scotia where wait-times in that health authority were the lowest in the province. Interesting enough for the layperson, a must read for those (and their loved ones) already in the system as well as managers and team leaders.
June 28, 2017
Does your Mental Health and Addiction system need change? Are there aspects to your system that requires improvement?
“Its Not About US: The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada”, by Todd Leader, without a doubt is an excellent model developed in the Province of Nova Scotia, that can be incorporated into your current system.
This book is not restricted to Canada alone but can be modified to suit the needs in any region, any province, any state, any country, globally.
The consistent and critical question in this book is “if this client was my loved one”. With this single question kept in mind for all Mental Health and Addition service providers, undoubtedly would initiate change.
In Nova Scotia, there has been a paradigm shift from a system centered to client centered. The need for improvement to policies and procedures, in addition to a client centered approach, develops a well-rounded service and creates preventative measures to keep those with mild mental illness healthy to best serve more severe cases on a short wait list while receiving more advanced care. The statistics noted in this book on the drastic decreased wait lists, for all age groups, in all facets of their system, is staggering.
Political and system leaders need to develop clear mission, vision, and values solely based on the care of the clients and create a collaborative effort, from all systems agencies, to treat the individual as a whole.
This book really made an impact on my views towards my own care and gave me food for thought on the changes that need to be made within the Province of Ontario.
I highly recommend reading this model as I know it will give you insight into what necessary changes can be made in your current Mental Health and Addiction system.
What kind of service would you want for your loved one??
“Its Not About US: The Secret to Transforming the Mental Health and Addiction System in Canada”, by Todd Leader, without a doubt is an excellent model developed in the Province of Nova Scotia, that can be incorporated into your current system.
This book is not restricted to Canada alone but can be modified to suit the needs in any region, any province, any state, any country, globally.
The consistent and critical question in this book is “if this client was my loved one”. With this single question kept in mind for all Mental Health and Addition service providers, undoubtedly would initiate change.
In Nova Scotia, there has been a paradigm shift from a system centered to client centered. The need for improvement to policies and procedures, in addition to a client centered approach, develops a well-rounded service and creates preventative measures to keep those with mild mental illness healthy to best serve more severe cases on a short wait list while receiving more advanced care. The statistics noted in this book on the drastic decreased wait lists, for all age groups, in all facets of their system, is staggering.
Political and system leaders need to develop clear mission, vision, and values solely based on the care of the clients and create a collaborative effort, from all systems agencies, to treat the individual as a whole.
This book really made an impact on my views towards my own care and gave me food for thought on the changes that need to be made within the Province of Ontario.
I highly recommend reading this model as I know it will give you insight into what necessary changes can be made in your current Mental Health and Addiction system.
What kind of service would you want for your loved one??
September 13, 2018
I just wanted to stand on my chair and yell "yes!" A hundred times over while reading this book. He gets it. This book was so affirming and gives me help for health care and the way we treat mental health.
March 19, 2017
See my review for another entry here on Goodreads.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews