October 9, 2012
Dr. Jean Grenier
University of Ottawa
Montfort Hospital
1D-157 Montreal Road
Ottawa, ON K1K 0T2
RE : Team Grant: Community-Based Primary Healthcare (The Transformative Community-based Primary Healthcare Initiative)
Dear Dr. Grenier
The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) is pleased to write this letter of support for the “Transforming primary mental health care: embedding evidence-based practices for anxiety disorders in routine primary care in a Canadian context” proposal being submitted to the CIHR Community-Based Primary Healthcare –Team Grant competition.
As a national voice for the social work profession, CASW has been instrumental in establishing standards of practice for the social worker profession over its 85 year history. CASW is supportive of the goals of this project in better ensuring the integration of mental health in primary care using the example of anxiety disorders and ensuring that treatments are based on evidence while ensuring efficiency and cost effectiveness.
The role of social workers in the management of anxiety disorders spans from prevention to collaborative rehabilitation work with other health professionals that is essential to improve the well-being of people suffering from anxiety disorders. However, there are still many gaps in the current primary health care system to efficiently fulfill the needs of these patients. It is CASW’s understanding that this project, whose ultimate aim is to develop strategies and create tools for implementing evidence-based anxiety disorders care, will certainly help in filling this gap.
The CASW contribution will consist in conveying the needs of social workers and providing our knowledge and experience in the management of anxiety disorders through its participation in the project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee.
In conclusion, the CASW fully supports this project which meets our objectives and needs and will answer the existing gap in the management of anxiety disorders in Canada.
Sincerely,
Fred Phelps
Executive Director
Canadian Association of Social Workers
