The Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN) is the evidenced-based, standardized assessment for the community mental health sector. OCAN promotes a consumer/client driven approach with the inclusion of a self-assessment. The tool supports conversations with consumers about their strengths, needs, and actions to address their unmet needs.
The OCAN Community of Interest is co-led by Canadian Mental Health Association(CMHA), Ontario, CMHA Peel Dufferin, and Ontario Health with the support of EENet.
The OCAN Community of Interest's objectives are:
- Provide a forum for sharing OCAN-related information.
- Share recovery-oriented practices using OCAN that enhances a consumer-centred approach.
- Share challenges and strategies related to OCAN use.
- Share approaches to using OCAN data for quality improvement planning at various levels.
- Engage with users of other standardized tools to identify common challenges and strategies and work towards a more streamlined and integrated system.
- Engage new members in the COI working group to broaden the stakeholder base.
The knowledge exchange goals are:
- Increase awareness of the project and its value to Ontario’s mental health and addictions system.
- Increase interest in using the OCAN to inform service delivery, planning and policy decisions.
- Increase quality of client information collected in the OCAN to support client care.
The OCAN Community of Interest established a working group, which meets on a monthly basis to provide leadership and support as it accomplishes its goals and objectives. This working group has approximately 20 members and includes representatives from the following stakeholder groups:
- Persons with lived experience
- Community based organizations
- Hospital organizations
- Researchers
- Government of Ontario representatives
Stakeholders who may be interested in participating in the activities of the Community of Interest include:
- Persons with lived experience
- Peer support workers who support persons with lived experience
- Mental health and addiction service providers
- Government of Ontario mental health and e-health leads
- Ontario Health
- The Centre of Excellence for Mental Health and Addictions
- Ontario Peer Development Initiative members
- Scientists analyzing OCAN data to better understand the characteristics and needs of client/consumer populations using community mental health services
- Connex Ontario representatives (their information on organizations is built into the OCAN tool)
- Other networks interested in OCAN use and OCAN data.
Through the years, the OCAN Community of Interest engaged in the following activities and developed the following resources:
- A series of webinars, in collaboration with EENet. This year, the Community of Interest collaborated with various other networks to host a three-part webinar series looking at various standardized tools used in Ontario.
- Promising Practice articles looking at organizations’ experiences using OCAN.
- An online collaborative space on EENet Connect for OCAN users (eenetconnect.ca). This space allows members to share OCAN-related information and resources that support service delivery and quality improvement plans, such as OCAN resource materials, webinar slide decks, training materials. The working group monitors the space and engages in discussions with members. Visit EENet Connect to see the discussions.
- A number of two-hour “OCAN Jam” events, which allowed members of the online space on EENet Connect to connect with OCAN experts and ask questions related to the use of the OCAN tool in real time.
- A two-page handout about the use of the OCAN during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on questions and answers posted during the OCAN Jam.
Lead organizations
- The Canadian Mental Health Organization (CMHA) Ontario Division
- CMHA Peel Dufferin
- Ontario Health
CoI leads
Linda Saunders
Quality Improvement Coach
Excellence Through Quality Improvement (E-QIP)
Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division
lsaunders@ontario.cmha.ca
Diana Sousa
Program Manager
Bramalea Care Collaborative
Canadian Mental Health Association, Peel Dufferin
SousaD@cmhapeel.ca
Jennifer Zosky
Common Assessment Specialist
Ontario Health
jennifer.zosky@ontariohealth.ca
Related resources, news, and events
Webinar recording: Using the Ontario Common Assessment of Need tool during and after COVID-19
Resource | Nov. 25, 2021Webinar: Using the Ontario Common Assessment of Need tool during and after COVID-19
Event | Nov. 8, 2021Ask the experts: OCAN JAM
Event | Sep. 30, 2021Promising Practice: Using a recovery approach to completing the Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN)
Resource | Mar. 9, 2021Experience exchange: Using the Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN) during COVID-19
Resource | Mar. 8, 2021Using standardized tools to improve services: World Café highlights and themes
Resource | Mar. 3, 2021Promising Practice: OCAN quality improvement network
Resource | Oct. 16, 2020FAQs: Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN) & COVID-19
Resource | Jul. 29, 2020Webinar recording: Use of recovery model to support staff & client engagement & use of OCAN data to support system planning & improvement
Resource | Jun. 11, 2020Webinar recording: Using the OCAN in quality improvement and an overview of the interRAI Child and Youth suite of assessment instruments
Resource | May 29, 2020The Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN) and recovery oriented practice
Resource | Jun. 12, 2018How are agencies around Ontario using the Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN)?
Resource | May 11, 2016