Health and Community Services
October 8, 2010
Mental Illness Awareness Week Focuses on
Ending the Stigma
Recovery is Possible is the theme of
Mental Illness Awareness Week, which takes place the first week of every
October and runs this year from October 3 to October 9. The Honourable
Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services, signed the
proclamation for Mental Illness Awareness Week in Newfoundland and
Labrador earlier this week.
"As Minister of Health and Community Services,
I have made a strong commitment to address issues surrounding mental
illness in Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Kennedy. "To
further this commitment, the Williams Government will continue to make
strategic investments in the development of programs and services to
improve the lives of those living with mental illness in our province."
Mental Illness Awareness Week is coordinated
by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, a network
of national organizations dedicated to addressing mental health needs of
Canadian residents. The goal of Mental Illness Awareness Week is to
raise awareness of the level of mental illness in Canada, to reduce
negative stigma associated with mental illness among the general pubic
and health care professionals, and to promote the importance of
prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
"Though mental illness affects many
individuals in our province, people are not seeking proper treatment,"
said Minister Kennedy. "We have to address this issue by working
together with our community partners to increase awareness of mental
illness and erase the stigma associated with it."
Budget 2010:
The Right
Investments For Our Children and Our Future
includes an investment
of $7.2 million to strengthen mental health and addictions services in
the province, including $2.4 million for continued planning and
construction of a new residential treatment centre in St. John's for
children and youth with complex mental health needs; $2 million to
further a new residential treatment centre in Grand Falls-Windsor for
children and youth with addictions; $2 million for the planning and
development of an adult residential addictions treatment centre in
Harbour Grace; $482,900 to enhance child psychiatry services at the
Janeway Hospital; and, $300,000 to support new community-based projects,
with a focus on mental health and addictions issues.
The Provincial Government has
invested $17.9 million over the past five years in mental health and
addictions, including
the creation of an adolescent day treatment program; three
multi-disciplinary community treatment teams; new mental health
legislation; the opening of Humberwood Provincial Treatment Centre in
Corner Brook, for adult residents of the province requiring in-patient
treatment for addictions; and, funding for several community groups.
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Photo: Proclamation signing during 2010 Mental Illness Awareness Week. Back row (left to right): Gloria Williams, Mental Health Promotion Consultant, Eastern Health; Paula Corcoran, Peer Support Coordinator, CHANNAL. Front row (left to right): Dave Banko, Executive Director, Schizophrenia Society of Newfoundland and Labrador; Mark Gruchy, President, Canadian Mental Health Association Newfoundland and Labrador (CMHA-NL); the Honourable Jerome Kennedy, Minister of Health and Community Services; George Skinner, Executive Director, CMHA-NL.
Media contact:
Tansy Mundon
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 685-2646
tansymundon@gov.nl.ca
2010 10 08
10:05 a.m.
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