Sponsorship Opportunities
Partner with the Ontario Psychiatric Association
Your organization’s impact will be monumental for mental health in Ontario.
The OPA represents the interests of psychiatrists and individuals living with mental illness or substance use disorders, and their families, and serves to engage in systems advocacy relating to psychiatry and mental health. The OPA also serves to raise awareness and promote understanding of mental illness and substance use disorders.
The Ontario Psychiatric Association advocates on timely and critical issues that impact all Ontarians:
- Mental Health Act law reform to reduce legal barriers that prevent earlier access to psychiatric treatment and hinder patients' prognosis for recovery
- Preserving OHIP-covered psychotherapy services
- Delaying the expansion of MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) to persons whose sole condition is mental illness to ensure proper guidance is in place
- Keira’s Law Bill C-233 - protecting children and families by implementing education on domestic violence for judges working in family law
- Need for whole system integration in service provision
By partnering with the OPA, your organization will support Ontarians living with mental illness and reduce stigma around mental illness.
Benefits of Partnering with the OPA
Patient impact across the province
Severe mental illnesses such as mood, anxiety and psychotic disorders are associated with costs to society such as reduced quality of life, lost productivity, unemployment, and health care costs. Mental illness and substance use disorders account for between 11 and 15% of Ontario’s disease burden (Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, 2018).
The OPA advocates various approaches to improving Ontario’s mental health system, including the need for education, prevention, and systemic integration across disciplines (education, health justice, social services), mental health law reform, and advocating for interests of psychiatrists who provide services that are underfunded and stigmatized.
Building relationships
The OPA seeks like-minded organizations interested in building a mutually supportive partnership, with a shared vision for improving Ontario’s mental health system for individuals and families who seek psychiatric services, and those working in the system to provide it. We seek to foster brand awareness through collaborative innovation.
Supporting a small not-for profit
The Ontario Psychiatric Association is a respected organization, and despite its 100+ year history, it remains akin to a grassroots organization, funded mainly by membership dues. Financial support from organizations aligned with OPA’s mission will allow maintenance of a robust financial infrastructure to support the OPA’s advocacy and educational offerings..
The OPA is committed to remaining free of pharmaceutical funding to preserve its integrity and credibility in unbiased advocacy and education.
About the OPA
The Ontario Psychiatric Association was established in 1920, and is a membership-driven not-for-profit organization. The OPA forges connections with stakeholders including government, hospitals, health associations, and patient advocacy groups, putting patient needs at the forefront of the advocacy work.
The Ontario Psychiatric Association’s members are predominantly psychiatrists working in hospital and community settings, and trainees in psychiatry. A smaller proportion of members are professionals or trainees working in related fields such as family medicine, psychology, social work, registered psychotherapy, nursing, occupational therapy.
OPA Advocacy work is led by volunteer OPA Board members (actively practicing psychiatrists and trainees), with the recruitment of patient and family representatives on working groups, depending on the project. The Board also organizes educational offerings focused on professional development for physicians and may collaborate with stakeholder groups (e.g. Ontario Medical Association) on events.
CONTACT THE OPA TO START LEVERAGING A UNIQUE AND MEANINGFUL PARTNERSHIP
OPA Association Manager - Deanna O’Reilly
manager@eopa.ca
7145 West Credit Avenue, Building 2, Suite 201
Mississauga, ON L5N 6J7
phone: 905.813.0105
Follow us on Twitter @OntPsychAssoc to see what we do!
