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 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 the 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 14 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
- Mental health and addiction service providers, including peer support workers
- Government of Ontario mental health and e-health leads
- Ontario Health, the Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence
- 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 train-the-trainer webinar series on the use of OCAN to enhance client care
- A webinar on the use of a blended approach to OCAN training for new and existing staff
- A webinar on the use of the OCAN tool during and after COVID-19
- 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 two-hour “ask the expert” event, which allowed members of the online space on EENet Connect to have their questions about the OCAN answered by OCAN experts in real time.
Lead organizations
- Canadian Mental Health Association Peel Dufferin
- Ontario Health
CoI leads
Annalisa Rasmussen
Program Manager
Bramalea MDT and High Priority Community Strategy
Canadian Mental Health Association, Peel Dufferin
RasmussenA@cmhapeel.ca
Jennifer Zosky
Common Assessment Specialist
Digital Excellence in Health, Ontario Health
Jennifer.zosky@ontariohealth.ca
Related resources, news, and events
Virtual training series for OCAN leads, trainers and coaches
Event | Apr 19, 2023Experience Exchange: How OCAN content guides practice at CMHA Niagara
Resource | Feb 3, 2023Experience Exchange: OCAN Blended training at CMHA Peel Dufferin
Resource | Jan 25, 2023Data literacy webinar: The Ontario Common Assessment of Need (OCAN)
Event | Dec 8, 2022Research As It Happens: OCAN research study on mental health quality indicators
Resource | Nov 21, 2022Webinar recording: Practice guidelines for using OCAN content to support client recovery
Resource | Nov 6, 2022Webinar Recording: Training activities to enhance the quality of OCANs - part 1 of 2 part series
Resource | Oct 31, 2022Train the trainer webinar series: Strategies to enhance the quality and practical use of OCAN
Event | Sept 12, 2022Experience Exchange: Using the Ontario Common Assessment of Need to support client care in York Region
Resource | May 9, 2022Webinar recording: A blended approach to OCAN training for new and existing staff
Resource | Mar 21, 2022Webinar 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 | Sept 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