Rural Psychiatry Care Options for Mental Health and Addictions

The aim of this jurisdictional scan of Canadian and select international jurisdictions is to identify policies and models for rural and remote mental health services that include psychiatry as a key component.

Currently, the province of Newfoundland & Labrador has one specialized psychiatric hospital located in St. John’s. Furthermore, majority of the psychiatrists in the province are located in and around the city. Given the province’s geographically dispersed population, this results in challenges to the delivery of mental health and addictions care. The health system of the province is now undergoing system transformations to improve access to mental health and addictions care.  Findings from this jurisdictional scan will inform the government’s ongoing service delivery improvements for mental health and addictions across the province.