Our History

Closure of Asian Initiative in Mental Health (AIM)
Founded in 2002 at Toronto Western Hospital (UHN), AIM provided culturally and linguistically responsive mental health care in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, including psychiatric assessment, medication management, psychotherapy, relapse prevention, and follow-up.

AIM served about 1,000 patients through 4,500 annual visits. With 75% of new patients coming from outside UHN’s catchment, it played a vital regional role. The Chinese community, Ontario’s second-largest ethnoracial group, faces major barriers to mental health care, including limited English proficiency, low service use, high unmet needs, more involuntary admissions, and severe psychotic symptoms.

AIM was closed abruptly on June 18, 2025, without consultation. Four clinicians were laid off, while the remaining staff were reassigned to general outpatient services.

Community Response – The Formation of RE-AIM
Following AIM’s closure, a coalition RE-AIM (Resilience and Empowerment in Asian Integrative Mental Health) of healthcare providers, community organizations, patient advocates, and academics was formed to advocate for the clinic restoration.

Outreach to UHN
Despite a year of advocacy, including a meeting with senior psychiatry leadership and a deputation to the UHN Board of Trustees. The UHN declined to restore AIM on a permanent or trial basis.

Ontario Legislature Member’s Statement and Press Conference
On June 2, 2026, MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam tabled a Member’s Statement at the Ontario Legislature and called on the Minister of Health to direct UHN to immediately reinstate AIM.
https://re-aim.ca/members-statement-jun-2-2/
https://re-aim.ca/question-period-exchange-jun-2/
https://re-aim.ca/omni-tv-community-organizations-call-for-the-reinstatement-of-the-asian-initiative-in-mental-health-clinicaim/

From a local loss to a broader vision
After the 2025 dissolution of AIM, RE-AIM has recognized the need for a sustainable network model to address the mental health needs of East and Southeast Asian communities.