OCAN FAQ

Does the OCAN and the MHA PDS collect the same information? 

In response to sector feedback, a new version of OCAN (OCAN 4.0)  is available that aligns the common fields in the MHA PDS and OCAN to reduce the administrative burden of duplicate data entry. Staff would enter the information once and it would populate both PDS and OCAN. Organizations interested in using OCAN 4.0 can connect with their software vendor.

If we submit the Provincial Data Set, do we have to submit the OCAN as well?

The OCAN isn’t mandated provincially, but Ontario Health encourages organizations to continue to use this clinical assessment and it may be named as a developmental indicator in your organization's Multi-Sector Service Accountability Agreement (M-SAA).

The table below shows the type of OCAN recommended for each functional centre. The Full OCAN and Core + Self OCAN types continue to be the standardized clinical assessments used in the community mental health sector. The recommendation is to continue collecting demographic information as part of the assessment in order for work to continue in sector that looks at differences in needs and outcomes by between client populations (e.g. LGBTQIA+ group).

 The recommendation for functional centres completing the Core OCAN only is to replace it with the MHA PDS when they implement PDS, as the information collected is similar. If you have questions about the types of OCAN you’re using, email assessmentprogram(at)ontariohealth(.)ca.