Layoffs announced at Addictions and Mental Health Services of KFLA

In response to a report released in 2018 by an Investigator appointed by the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) in which substantial organizational issues were identified at Addictions and Mental Health Services of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington (AMHS-KFLA), the agency has announced today a major organizational overhaul, including dozens of staff layoffs.

The jobs affected by the notice of layoffs include 39 full-time unionized members of OPSEU Local 489, three part-time unionized members, as well as non-unionized employees and managers and a reduction in the casual/temporary pool.  Concurrently with the layoffs, the organization will create 30 new full-time positions, the majority of which, the organization says, will be in the regulated health professions. Other part-time and casual positions will also be created. The agency says that per the collective agreement, these changes were discussed on March 12 with the union leadership.

“AMHS-KFLA is taking action now to transform the organization and deliver on its mission to provide quality care and services for the growing numbers of people in our communities who experience mental health and addictions challenges.  The transformation has one clear focus:  to improve the recovery journey for clients and provide ongoing support through a seamless, coordinated system of care. These changes support issues detailed by an Investigator appointed by the South East Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and documented in the 2018 Investigator’s Report,” the organization said in a press release.

Following the release of the Investigator’s report, a Supervisor was subsequently appointed to AMHS-KFLA by the South East LHIN in December 2018 and is now responsible for implementing the transformation plan.

AMHS-KFLA says the nine-month plan “will refocus the organization’s programs and service delivery to reflect recent advances and evidence-informed practices in the mental health and addictions sector”, and that both the elimination of positions and creation of new positions will support AMHS-KFLA’s future vision of their new models of care and delivery of service.

“The changes we make today will ensure clients and families have improved access to an integrated system of care – one that relies on proven evidence based practices and advancements to support the journey to recovery,” said Karen Berti, the LHIN-appointed Supervisor for AMHS-KFLA.

As staff roles are transitioned, the agency expects that client services will be maintained without disruption. AMHS-KFLA provides addiction and mental health services to nearly 8000 individuals in Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington.