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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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