CAMH joins RNAO's internationally recognized Best Practice Spotlight Organization® program

TORONTO, Jan. 31, 2023 /CNW/ - The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is delighted to welcome back Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to its internationally-renowned Best Practice Spotlight Organization^® (BPSO^®) program. CAMH's three-year commitment to implement RNAO best practice guidelines (BPG) reaffirms a commitment to providing dignified evidence-based, person-centred care to people seeking support for mental health and substance use issues.

RNAO BPGs advance the delivery of patient safety and high-quality care by providing evidence-based recommendations on clinical and healthy work environment topics. With support from RNAO, CAMH will implement the following five BPGs: Promoting Safety: Alternative Approaches to the Use of Restraints; Person-and Family-Centred Care, Second Edition (working title); Engaging Clients Who Use Substances; Delirium, Dementia, and Depression in Older Adults: Assessment and Care; and Care Transitions.

"Nurses know that mental health is essential to everyday health. RNAO and CAMH share a vision of increasing access and supports for anyone seeking care for mental illness and substance use," says RNAO's CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. "We are proud to partner with CAMH once again as they continue their journey towards guideline implementation and sustainability. We commend them for their commitment to clinical excellence and evidence-based practice."

Access to substance use and mental health supports are needed now more than ever. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the number of opioid-related deaths across Canada has drastically increased and 50 per cent of Canadians have reported worsening mental health.

"CAMH is thrilled to be renewing our partnership with RNAO as a BPSO," says Dionne Sinclair, vice president of clinical operations and chief nursing executive at CAMH. "As a global leader in mental health, CAMH is committed to using best evidence and best practices to inform everything we do. We know that engaging in RNAO's globally-acclaimed best practice guidelines program will help us advance care for patients and their families."

CAMH has also formally agreed to use RNAO's NQuiRE^® international data system to monitor progress. After successfully implementing the five BPGs, CAMH will renew their BPSO designation and continue their membership in a global community of more than 1,500 BPSOs.  

The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

RNAO's BPG program is funded by the Ministry of Health. It was envisioned by CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun in 1998 and launched in 1999 to provide the best available evidence for patient care across all health sectors and settings. The more than 50 guidelines developed to date represent a substantial contribution towards building excellence in Ontario's health system. RNAO launched the BPSO program in 2003 to help service and academic organizations implement RNAO BPGs and evaluate their impact on patients, organizations and health systems. There are now more than 1,500 BPSOs in Ontario, Canada and internationally.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on Twitter.

SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario

Madison Scaini, Communications Officer/Writer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) 1-800-268-7199 ext. 274 416-408-5645 [e-mail]; Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [e-mail]; Hayley Clark, Manager, media strategy, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), [e-mail]