The Canadian Mental Health Association applauds Canada’s first-ever mental health strategy

New strategy provides broad vision but will require a truly coordinated, adequately funded implementation plan to result in real improvements for Canadians

Ottawa, May 8, 2012- The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) applauds the Mental Health Commission of Canada for spearheading the development of Canada’s first-ever mental health strategy.

 

The strategy release is timely given this week is CMHA’s Mental Health Week, which focuses on the theme, “Mental Health for All”.

 

“This is a celebratory milestone for all Canadians living with mental health problems and for all organizations and front-line service providers who work to help people maintain and improve their mental health and support those managing or recovering from mental illness and addictions,” says Peter Coleridge, National CEO, CMHA. “We all own this national mental health strategy.”

 

According to Coleridge, Canada’s new mental health strategy provides an evidence-based road map for governments, policy-makers and service providers to improve access for all Canadians to adequate mental health and mental illness supports and services.

 

Until today, Canada was the only advanced industrial country without a national strategy on mental health. It is estimated at least one in five Canadians each year will be affected by a mental illness and it is estimated to cost the Canadian economy $51 billion dollars annually.

 

“A key next step will be the development of a detailed implementation plan for the strategy. This plan should continue to build partnerships with the many key stakeholders involved in the strategy’s creation,” says David Copus, National Board Chair, CMHA. “All departments of government and all levels of government need to take a “whole of government” approach and adequately fund the strategy’s implementation. Without this commitment, Canada’s first-ever national mental health strategy blueprint will join the many other reports and recommendations that are not implemented and will result in no real improvements in mental health and mental illness services for Canadians.”

 

“The Federal government has the opportunity to lead by example by improving its capacity to develop mental health policy and deliver services in areas for which it has direct responsibility such as First Nations, Inuit and Métis, National Defence, Veterans Affairs and Corrections,” adds Copus.

 

The new mental health strategy provides a broad evidence based vision that will require a different way of working among governments, policy-makers and service providers. 

 

“We must all work together to ensure action. The not-for-profit mental health and addictions sector and the community must have an integrated and equitable role with the public sector in mental health service planning and program delivery,” says Coleridge. “We look forward to being a lead partner and working with other key stakeholders to implement the strategy.”

 

For more information http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/Pages/Strategy.aspx