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MENTAL HEALTH NEWS FROM MHCC COMMISSIONCOMMISSION DE LA OF SANTÉ NEWS FROM MHCC MENTALECANADA DU CANADANEWS FROM MHCC NEWS FROM MHCC VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 WINTER 2011 ABOUT At Home/Chez Soi Celebrates A Year of Milestones THE MHCC The Mental Health Commission of Canada works towards its goals by focusing on five major initiatives: Mental Health Strategy for Canada At Home/Chez Soi: A national research project on mental health and homelessness Opening Minds: An anti‑stigma initiative Knowledge Exchange Centre More than 600 homeless Partners for Mental Health: A social movement participants are now housed thanks to the project. Mario Lopes, landlord involved in Eight Advisory Committees Since its official five-city launch one year ago, the the At Home Winnipeg project. provide insight to the Commission on important Mental Health Commission of Canada’s (MHCC) mental health issues: national research project on mental health and homelessness has much to celebrate. At Home/Chez Soi participant update as Family/Caregivers of January 7, 2011: Child and Youth The five sites of the At Home/Chez Soi project — Moncton, Montréal, Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver Science — are investigating the best ways to help homeless Vancouver 428 First Nations, Inuit and Métis people living with a mental illness. Over the past 12 Winnipeg 343 Service Systems months there have been many positive signs. Mental Health and the Law Site coordinators report stories of participants settling Toronto 409 Seniors into their new homes and pursuing job opportunities. Montreal 350 Workforce Others notice a renewed stability within participants’ lives, some of whom are forming fresh relationships Moncton 148 and making use of new support systems. Follow us on: The project’s host cities have been holding their own Total number of participants: 1,678 informal anniversary events to provide public updates and to celebrate successes with the many partners central to the project’s operation. For more information about The views represented herein solely Over the next three years, 2,285 people who are the At Home/Chez Soi represent the views of the Mental Health homeless and living with a mental illness will take initiative, click here. Commission of Canada. part in the project. Of those, 1,325 will receive new Production of this document is made possible through a financial contribution homes and support. The remaining participants will from Health Canada. receive the services and supports already available in their communities. 1 MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA NEWS FROM MHCC Provinces of Ontario and BC Making Mental Health a Priority The MHCC applauds two recent In Ontario this past December, the Minister’s Advisory Group major developments in provincial released Respect, Recovery, Resilience: Recommendations mental health. for Ontario’s Mental Health and Addictions Strategy. The recommendations from this report, as well as from the Select This past November, the Government of British Columbia Committee Report on Mental Health and Addictions that was released Healthy Minds, Healthy People: A 10-year Plan to released in August, will inform the 10-year Mental Health and Address Mental Health and Substance Abuse in B.C. The Addictions Strategy that is under development. plan provides a framework for improving the mental health These provincial developments contribute to the growing and well-being of the population. It also looks at the quality momentum for a new approach to mental health across and accessibility of services for people with mental health Canada, and will inform the MHCC’s work to develop a mental and substance use problems, with a focus on prevention of health strategy for Canada. problems, early intervention, treatment and sustainability. Early Anti-Stigma Network, speaks to workshop participants about his mental illness as well as the Results Show stigma and discrimination he experienced Attitude Shifts from frontline healthcare workers. This method of telling a personal story, also In Ontario known as contact-based education, is one method that has been shown The MHCC’s Opening internationally to reduce stigma. Minds encourages As part of the evaluation, Opening Minds adoption of promising tested the perceptions of the healthcare programs across Canada. practitioners, both before a workshop and afterwards. Following the workshop, WINTER 2011 In 2010, the MHCC’s anti-stigma initiative there was a 25 per cent increase among Opening Minds partnered with Ontario’s Constantin Nastic, participants who agreed employers should Peer Support Facilitator speaking at the workshop Central Local Health Integration Network hire people with a mental illness. There (LHIN) to evaluate its anti-stigma was also an increase of 40 per cent in program for healthcare practitioners. to replicate it in other regions across the those who said they would be willing country. For example, the Interior Health Understanding the Impact of Stigma is a to admit to colleagues that they had a program that delivers workshops aimed Authority in British Columbia has adapted mental illness. Additionally, 35 per cent the Ontario Central LHIN program in at reducing stigma and discrimination more participants believed that it is their seven hospitals and community clinics associated with mental illness sometimes responsibility to encourage recovery in throughout the province. perpetuated by healthcare providers. people with a mental illness. Constantin Nastic, a full-time Peer Because the Central LHIN program For more information about VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 3, ISSUE VOLUME Support Facilitator for the Streamlined has proven to be effective at reducing Access Team at the York Support Services stigma, Opening Minds is now helping Opening Minds, click here. 2 MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA NEWS FROM MHCC Saskatchewan Police Commission Sets an Example Ground-breaking policy protects privacy of those living with mental illness. Saskatchewan police leaders, in during a criminal occurrence security Mental Health and the Law Advisory conjunction with the Saskatchewan Police check. All police in Saskatchewan, Committee. Coleman was instrumental Commission, have raised the bar for mental including members of the RCMP, adhere to in seeing this policy adopted while he health and policing throughout Canada. the policy. The policy makes a significant was a Chief of Police in Saskatchewan. difference with regard to protecting the The policy is supported by the MHCC as In 2009, a provincial policy was adopted privacy of those with mental illness. a best practice and it encourages other which recognized “orders or other records jurisdictions to adopt it as well. relating to The Mental Health Services The Saskatchewan Chiefs of Police Act or The Youth Drug Detoxification and drove this initiative with the help of Stabilization Act will not be disclosed” Terry Coleman, a member of the MHCC's Canada Post Foundation Supports Mental Health First Aid Training Grant will help train approximately 288 local adults will be Beach; 14 townships; and eight First almost 300 adults to MHFA trained and an estimated 1,152 Nation communities across the District assist people with mental children and youth affected by mental will be involved in the project. illness will receive support from an MHFA is a program of the MHCC. health problems. MHFA trained adult. A grant from The Canada Post Foundation The MHFA Algoma Project will build to Algoma Family Services in Algoma, community-based support for children Ontario will allow the region to offer and youth throughout the Algoma District MHFA Instructor Training Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Canada who are affected by mental illness. WINTER 2011 courses are being offered in Training for the first time in the area. All communities within the large rural Calgary from February 13-18th Algoma Family Services is a provider of District of Algoma, Ontario including the 2011. For a complete list of specialized services for children, youth, cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Elliot Lake; training courses across Canada adults, and families in the Algoma the towns of Blind River, Bruce Mines, and to learn more about Mental District in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Spanish, and Thessalon; the municipality Health First Aid click here During the first year of this project, of Huron Shores; the village of Hilton VOLUME 3, ISSUE 3 3, ISSUE VOLUME 3 MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION OF CANADA NEWS FROM MHCC MHCC President and CEO Responds to Statistics Canada Report In a recent Statistics Dear Editor, Canada report that was Every Canadian should be very concerned about the Statistics Canada’s report this week featured in newspapers that suicide is the second leading cause of death for young adults in this country and one across Canada, cancer and of the top 10 leading causes of death overall. heart disease were listed What your news story did not mention is that behind these two important statistics, there were people suffering from forms of mental illness that led them to suicide. They are people as the leading causes like 18-year-old Jack Windeler, a first-year student at Queen’s University whose suicide last of death in the country. March has sparked a national campaign – The Jack Project (www.thejackproject.org) – to Suicide was listed as the focus attention on youth mental health. second leading cause of This year alone, more than seven million Canadians will experience a mental illness. They death for young adults. could be your son or daughter, brother or sister, father or mother, friend or colleague. Stigma MHCC President and CEO and discrimination are still major barriers preventing people living with a mental illness from talking about it and receiving treatment. The Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Louise Bradley responded anti-stigma initiative, Opening Minds, is seeking out the most effective ways to change to the report and her negative attitudes and behaviours toward people experiencing mental illness. A part of letter was featured in this work is to find the best strategies to sensitize children and youth about mental illness, a number of papers the importance of talking about it and seeking early treatment.

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