According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, “integration” of services is a required process under the mental health and addictions agenda to improve access and service to populations known to have poor health outcomes.

Integration may be horizontal (across organizations with similar types of services) or vertical (across different types of organizations within a continuum of care).

Service integration is the “coordination of care across providers, functions, activities, sites and time to enhance the continuity of care. Service integration can involve either either horizontal or vertical integration.”

Functional integration is the “coordination of similar support functions across organizations” and may result in shared policies and procedures.

For these quotes and a more complete discussion of integration, see the Canadian Mental Health Association website.

From lower to higher, integration may be:

• “Linkage-focused,” as in collaborations. Collaboration is a form of cooperation in the non-profit sector between autonomous, self-governing organizations who work together to enhance service delivery. Collaborations may be found in areas such as planning, referral, intake, service delivery, training, case coordination, data collection and administration.

• “Network-focused,” as in formalized partnerships or alliances. Networks are evolving structures made up of nodes of individuals or organizations that are linked by specific types of relationships, for example, communication, exchange of services or joint service delivery.

• “Full” integration, where there is a transfer, merger or amalgamation of services, operations or organizations.

(Laura Pisko-Bezruchko, Senior Director of Planning, Toronto Central LHIN, presented the names of these categories to the “Mental Health and Addictions LHIN Network,” April 15, 2008.)