Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The department uses monitoring of indicators as an ongoing means to both provide program oversight and to provide planning in all areas, including mental health and addictions. Some of the things we look at include usage rates, wait times, common presenting concerns, topics of prevention and promotion efforts and that kind of thing to get a feel for what is going on. The data that is obtained is used to monitor performance and also adherence to the program mandate: does the data show that the program is properly focused and delivering the services for which it was intended? We also find from the data that we are able to track trends and ultimately move that into system planning and professional development and staffing needs, so that our staff is up to date.

One of the areas in which we've had a lot of success and which I mentioned earlier today is stepped care. This is an approach where we overhauled the Community Counselling Program and decided that, instead of making a client a series of appointments over weeks or months, we would make appointments available on the same day so that there would be no waiting list. If you need an appointment, you could go and get an appointment. The waiting list or a long wait time would not be a barrier to being seen. This is the kind of innovation that was put forward in the mental wellness and addictions recovery plan and which we have now implemented, so that is an overview of how the data and the planning fit together. Thank you.