Development of Universal Mental Health and Addictions Care System

ATN Strategies was engageed by Nova Scotia’s Office of Addictions and Mental Health (OAMH) to support a major systems transformation initiative: the development of a Universal Mental Health and Addictions Care (UMHAC) system. Between 2022 and 2023, we led a suite of projects designed to provide the evidence, frameworks, and practical tools needed to move from vision to implementation.

We began with a Future State Analysis focused on how to integrate allied professionals into the new model. This work explored compensation models, billing code options, and implementation pathways, assessing the operational and fiscal implications of each approach. The findings helped clarify feasible options for funding and organizing a more team-based, accessible system.

In parallel, we completed a Patient Journey Mapping Project to document how people currently experience mental health and addiction services and how those pathways should evolve under Nova Scotia’s Action for Health plan. These journeys highlighted critical access gaps, fragmentation points, and opportunities to design more integrated, person-centered care.

Building on earlier work for OAMH, we then supported the development of a Community Wellness Framework for community-based organizations delivering mental health and addictions supports. This clarified roles, expectations, and funding considerations for CBOs within a reformed provincial system.

To ensure accountability and learning, we designed a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability Framework for UMHAC, including a gap analysis, jurisdictional scan, and seven logic models with accompanying evaluation frameworks.

Finally, we assessed the Impacts of UMHAC on First Nations, examining implications for Mi’kmaw and other Indigenous communities in the context of existing health policies, legislation, and agreements.

Together, these projects equipped OAMH with concrete, system-level insights and tools to guide the design, implementation, and monitoring of a universal mental health and addictions care system in Nova Scotia.