Portage Brief | Mental health, homelessness and substance use

Supported by an extensive consultation process involving clients, their families and frontline teams, this document highlights key issues related to access, coordination and continuity of services.

Why this brief matters

This brief comes at a time when issues related to mental health, homelessness and substance use are increasingly interconnected and complex. In the field, individuals often face fragmented care pathways, marked by delays in access, a lack of continuity, and difficulty accessing the right service at the right time.

What we are seeing on the ground

Consultations conducted by Portage highlight several concerning findings:

• access delays that weaken motivation and delay intervention
• persistent stigma that discourages people from seeking help
• care pathways marked by fragmented services
• late entry into care, often at a more complex stage

Real impacts on individuals

These challenges have direct consequences on people’s trajectories. The absence of timely or appropriate intervention can lead to a worsening of issues, deterioration in mental and physical health, as well as a loss of stability and hope.“If I had received help from my first psychosis, I probably wouldn’t have gone as far in my substance use and I wouldn’t have lost everything.”
— Resident, Adult Program, Prévost

Acting earlier, improving guidance and support

The brief proposes concrete actions to improve service trajectories:

• strengthen early identification and intervention
• improve the efficiency and timeliness of access mechanisms
• better integrate substance use, mental health and physical health services
• increase support for families and reintegration pathways

The role of Portage

With over 50 years of experience, Portage aims to actively contribute to the evolution of the system by leveraging its field expertise and continuum of services to offer more accessible, humane and needs-based care pathways.