The Mental Health and Addictions-Provincial Data Set (MHA-PDS)
The Road to Wellness initiative by Ontario Health’s Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence aims to establish a standardized set of provincial data definitions and elements for mental health and addictions. This standardization ensures consistency in data collection throughout the sector and across the lifespan.
The Mental Health and Addictions-Provincial Data Set (MHA-PDS) comprises a minimum set of client-level, routinely collected, standardized data elements. These elements support direct service delivery and enable uniform and comparable reporting of service utilization, client outcomes, and client characteristics across the Ontario Mental Health and Addictions sector.
DATIS' Commitment
While certain vendors will align with PDS compliance requirements, it's important to note that Catalyst will not undergo updates to meet these standards.
Instead, DATIS will support Health Service Providers (HSPs) offboard from Catalyst and migrate their existing client data while onboarding to PDS-compliant vendors:
- DATIS will offer a structured Catalyst offboarding process, complete with reminders and comprehensive checklists for the entire process.
- DATIS is working with Ontario Health’s MH&A Centre of Excellence (COE) and Reconnect Community Health Services to ensure a smooth transition from Catalyst to PDS-compliant vendor systems.
How to offboard Catalyst?
Steps for Offboarding from Catalyst
DATIS has developed (and will continue to adjust) the following offboarding process:
Initiation
- Health Service Providers (HSPs) will initiate the Catalyst offboarding process by submitting a Service Ticket to the DATIS Service Desk (SD).
Phase 1: Open a "Transitioning Off Catalyst" Ticket
The DATIS SD will send an initial form requesting milestone dates and necessary details for the organization's data transfer.
All communication for the offboarding process should be completed within this single ticket; no new ticket submissions are required.
Relevant Knowledge Base (KB) resources will be provided, outlining the required steps for the HSP.
DATIS can meet with your HSP directly to address any questions; however, please review the KB resources first as they may contain answers to your FAQs.
DATIS will collect and track minimal information (e.g., phase completion times, volume of files transferred or downloaded) to improve internal processes.
Phase 2: Pre-Migration
The HSP should review and update relevant user lists (Catalyst, SAP, and GAIN Suite).
Review the organization's data retention policy to determine the scope of data to be transferred to the new vendor system.
HSPs are encouraged to communicate with the Centre of Excellence (COE) as they transition their data to a new vendor. DATIS can facilitate this connection as necessary.
The HSP will download any test data needed directly through the Catalyst Data Download reports. Any HSP Catalyst Administrator can perform this task; if access is needed, request it via the ticket.
- DATIS provides the PDS 1.0 Mapping document.
This data will then be imported by the new vendor into the new vendor system.
Confirm with DATIS the last day of data entry into Catalyst and the duration of the blackout period.
If Access Client Locks (ACL) are used in Catalyst, request this information in preparation for data migration.
A data transfer authorization form is required for Case Notes (including Attachments).
Plan for a blackout period between the last day of entry into Catalyst and the start of data entry into the new vendor system for MH&A data.
Please notify your team of the following information before the migration:
Once the blackout period begins, all activated users will have view-only access to client files and can still download reports.
Case Notes and Attachments will be extracted by the DATIS team. Due to the large volume of files most organizations have, this can take several business days.
Phase 3: Migration
This phase can also be referred to as the Catalyst blackout period.
All HSP staff will have view-only access to Catalyst and cannot enter or modify client data. All HSP can reference Catalyst to continue care during this period.
The DATIS team will begin extracting Case Notes (including Attachments) the business day following the last known day of entry into Catalyst, as specified in the Transitioning Off Catalyst Form. This process can take several business days, depending on the volume of data. Once the extraction is complete and the Data Request Form is submitted, the files will be sent to one HSP Catalyst Administrator via CAMH’s secure file transfer (SFTP). Since each SFTP can contain only five attachments, multiple transfers may be required to send all Case Notes and Attachments.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
HSPs will confirm the successful transfer of their data into their new CRM.
- HSP staff to enter all new client information into the new vendor system
- The HSP will confirm a date when all still-activated users will be deactivated.
- Data mapping support may be requested by the HSP or from the vendor, directly. Please see the Provincial MDS to PDS Mapping Standard first.
Phase 5: Complete Catalyst Offboarding
Terminate services between the HSP and DATIS. HSPs and DATIS (CAMH) will sign off on the termination of the Participation Agreement.
Deactivate all remaining users not using the GAIN Suite SS&A Q3. Users still using the GAIN Suite SS&A Q3 will retain access to this data only.
Note: As of May 2024, DATIS is working with Ontario Health’s MH&A Centre of Excellence with the final steps of the offboarding process before the termination of the Participation Agreement. DATIS is committed to transparency and will keep all HSPs informed as information becomes available.
