News

BC Budget: $140 million in targeted investment offers valuable opportunity to act #b4stage4

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) welcomes the Province’s commitment to mental health and addictions care following yesterday’s announcement of a $140 million package of measures aimed at improving child and youth mental health in BC schools, homes, and communities.

This follows Friday’s announcement that the BC Government has signed on to the federal Health Accord, securing $655 million dollars for mental health and addictions care over the next ten years.

“Recent budgets have not emphasized mental health and addictions as much as Budget 2017,” says CMHA BC’s policy director Jonny Morris. It is encouraging to see a 20% increase in the Ministry of Children and Family Development’s (MCFD) line item for child and youth mental health services. This is an important incremental step to the boost in funding needed to close the 70% treatment gap for BC children living with mental health and addiction problems.”

Budget 2017 does place an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, and enhanced treatment supports in community for young people living with mental health and addiction problems, with significant investments in the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the Canadian Mental Health Association in BC, FamilySmart (formerly the FORCE), Foundry and other allied partners to move the needle in this area. This is an important step towards a #b4stage4 system of care where mental health and addictions care can stand on a more equal footing with physical health care.

Over 2000 people and six organizations from across BC have signed on to the #b4stage4 manifesto, released by CMHA BC in October 2016. This manifesto makes recommendations for actions across five areas to improve BC’s mental health and addictions system. Budget 2017 does make progress across some of these areas and there is room for continued improvement.

#b4stage4 Manifesto Action Areas:

1. Let’s focus investments in the prevention of mental health and addiction problems and early intervention when symptoms first arise: More families will now benefit from Confident Parents: Thriving Kids, a parent training program delivered by phone. More families can “ask once – and get help fast.” This helps more kids from developing more serious behavioural problems, meaning more will stay in school, and less will become involved with the justice system. Further, effective and early care for depression is a critical ingredient in our efforts to prevent suicide. Young people (15+) with early symptoms of low mood, stress, or anxiety can now access Bounce Back, a coaching service using cognitive behavioural therapy.
2. Let’s build an accessible, publicly funded addictions treatment system – The investment in 28 new highly specialized treatment beds is an important step towards building an accessible, publicly funded addictions treatment system for youth. Further, the announced $65 million to house adults living with mental health and substance use problems is a critical intervention and key in supporting recovery. But there is a long road ahead – we need to keep building a standardized, compassionate, evidence-based system of care for all battling substance use problems – reducing the need for our current crisis response – while reorienting toward prevention and early intervention.
3. Let’s strengthen recovery closer to home in community – Foundry is an excellent example of community-centred, integrated, youth-friendly mental health and substance use care. This investment will double the current number of centres up to 11 across BC with a plan to reach 1,200 – 2,500 young people per year, supporting more young people in community. Funding for post-secondary student mental health is also welcome, and will hopefully build upon the work of Healthy Minds|Healthy Campuses, supporting students in their campus communities. Budget 2017 can do better when it comes to the disability income assistance rate. The $50 per month increase is welcome investment but does not keep up with continued increases in the cost of living in BC. Indexing the Persons with Disability Benefit against the cost of living or looking at an enhanced renters’ grant would have gone a long way for this vulnerable BC population.
4. Let’s improve crisis care – Increasing the number of community mental health and substance use clinicians to 120 at the Ministry of Children and Family Development is another important step to reduce the 70% treatment gap for children and youth. Demand for services continues to outstrip supply, and 70% of young people with mental health and addiction problems currently do not receive services. And the $1.5M in supports for First Nations communities is a positive step – but more investment in this area – especially prevention – is much needed in helping more First Nation communities move out of a crisis responses towards sustained wellbeing. Sustained investments in prevention and early intervention should divert people from needing crisis care over time.
5. Let’s lead change in mental health and addictions – building a #b4stage4 system for mental health and addictions in our province will take continued leadership, planning, and a map forward. It is encouraging that mental health and addictions has climbed up the priority list in Budget 2017. It is morally imperative and economically smart to ensure mental health and addictions continue to be a priority for future budgets and actual spending.

To learn more about CMHA BC’s b4stage4 campaign, please visit www.b4stage4.ca.

About the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
CMHA is Canada’s most established mental health charity and the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health. CMHA helps people access the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness. Each year in BC alone, CMHA serves more than 100,000 people all across the province. For mental health and addiction information and resources visit www.cmha.bc.ca

Media Contact:
Lorna Allen
Communications Coordinator – Media, CMHA BC Division
P: 604-688-3234 ext. 6326
E: lorna.allen@cmha.bc.ca

It’s your chance to show CMHA some love. CMHA could not carry out its important work without support like yours.

After losing her brother to suicide and living with her own mental health challenges, Candice found a renewed sense of purpose and reason to care for her mental health: her daughter.

No stranger to the fear of stigma that surrounds mental illness, Candice says, “A lot of the stigma was in my own mind. I worried people were going to judge me or that people were going to think less of me—that I wasn’t competent.”

After opening up about her experiences, Candice realized that sharing her story made support and connection possible.

“Once I actually started talking, I didn’t feel the stigma. I felt love and support and that people wanted to be there with you and alongside you in all that. It gives you this confidence around your mental health, knowing people are going to be there beside you.”

The companionship and camaraderie experienced by participating in Ride Don’t Hide is what keeps people like Candice coming back. Now on her fifth year, she and her team continue to ride in memory of her brother, to end stigma and help others realize that asking for help is not only okay—it’s necessary.

Please donate to CMHA, volunteer or spread the word on social media about #GivingTuesday today!

Almost six weeks have passed since we first released our manifesto – the five pillars for better mental health in British Columbia. Today, we have over 1,300 signatures across 64 constituencies!

That’s 1,396 people and counting – standing with the Canadian Mental Health Association in calling for a system of care that addresses mental health, addiction and physical health equally. We couldn’t help but recognize this achievement for what it is – a bold call to action and an increasing momentum towards change.

Here are just a few of the diverse voices we’ve been able to hear from:

• “As someone who works with youth, I have witnessed the increasing problems of mental health and addictions for decades; yet, there seems to be very little being done by those in the positions of power to truly take on the problem. May this campaign be the next step to bring about the much needed actions of change.”
• “My experience of losing my wife to suicide from post partum depression has opened my eyes to mental health and that more needs to be done in terms of providing care closer to home and connected with communities.”
• “It’s time to end the discrimination related to community-based mental health and addictions services. It’s time for mental health and addictions funding within health to be a priority. The opportunity is now. The time is now. The province has the largest surplus in history. Investment in mental health and addictions saves lives and makes sense. Let’s end the trauma of reaching out for care.”

Last week, we gathered at the Oak Bay Municipal Hall to acknowledge all of the amazing support we’ve received. Oak Bay Mayor, Nils Jensen, and Bev Gutray stood beside long-standing b4stage4 supporters Maureen Palmer, and Omar Alasaly – a producer/writer/director and pharmacist, respectively – who each shared their story and reason for joining the campaign.

Next week, we’ll be moving on to the next step of our campaign: the b4stage4 conference in Victoria. We’ll be bringing together international leaders, policy makers, researchers, and advocates to help BC think differently about mental health and addiction.

It’s an an opportunity for British Columbians across the province to come together to enact change. The time is now. Let’s seize it together.

Have you joined the movement?

There are still a few seats at the conference. Be part of the conversation with our conference speakers and take part in shaping the landscape of mental health and addictions care.

Register today!

The Board of Directors of the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division (CMHA BC) is calling an Extraordinary Special Meeting to amend CMHA BC’s bylaws.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 4:30 pm, at Suite 905 – 1130 W. Pender Street, Vancouver.

The meeting will consider a Special Resolution to amend the bylaws as posted below as Schedule A. Members may vote on the Special Resolution in person or by proxy. Proxies must be received by CMHA BC not less than 1 hour before the meeting. For details on voting procedures, please see the Notice to Members.

• Notice to Members – Extraordinary Special Meeting 2016
• Schedule A – CMHA BC Bylaw Revisions – Blacklined
• Schedule B – Proxy

If you have questions about the meeting or would like to receive a copy of the blacklined bylaws by mail, please call Clara Chalifour at 778-372-6325.

It’s time to change the way we think about mental health and addictions care in BC

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) today unveiled a five point manifesto that lays out a set of concrete and practical actions to improve the lives of people living with mental health and addictions problems in BC.

The manifesto is a call to action for all British Columbians to get behind the idea that mental health and physical health should be valued equally. It outlines a series of recommendations on how we can create better mental health and addictions care in BC.

We would never knowingly wait until Stage 4 to intervene for cancer; we educate, screen, and take action in the early stages. CMHA BC firmly believes that we need to do the same for mental illnesses and addictions. b4stage4 is about preventing mental illness and addiction, and for those who are experiencing symptoms, intervening in the early years before people reach a crisis point.

When it comes to better mental health and addictions care, there is plenty of evidence for what works. The manifesto calls for BC to adopt community-based programs that have proven successful in treating the early symptoms of low mood, anxiety, and stress. They are cost-effective supports to our overburdened system in BC. But more needs to be done to ensure people get the help they need at any stage or age.

“There is a moral and economic imperative to act b4stage4. Our goal here is to engage individuals and organizations across BC in our manifesto for change,” says Bev Gutray, CEO of CMHA BC. “This is a real opportunity for us all to move toward prevention and early intervention in mental health and addictions, and away from the overuse of emergency services and the justice system.”

“We know that the demand for our health care system is outpacing supply. In fact, demand for mental health and addiction services is expected to more than triple by 2036. ” continues Gutray. “Too many British Columbians diagnosed with mental illness, such as depression, are not able to access the help they need.”

CMHA is calling on the public to take part in this conversation and support the b4stage4 campaign. British Columbians are encouraged to register their support at www.b4stage4.ca. There, they can sign the manifesto.

To launch b4stage4, CMHA BC will also be hosting a b4stage Conference in Victoria on November 28-30 to further explore ways in which the system can be improved. The b4stage4 Conference will bring together speakers that are both experts in their field and have lived experience of mental health issues. The Right Honourable Norman Lamb, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom, will be the keynote speaker. As a British Liberal Democrat politician, the Right Honourable Lamb played a leading role in driving mental health care to the top of the political agenda in the UK. He steered the 2014 Care Act through Parliament and introduced maximum wait time standards for mental health.
For more information on the conference and to sign up for updates go to www.b4stage4.ca.

About the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division (CMHA BC)
CMHA BC is a part of Canada’s most established mental health charity and the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health. CMHA helps people access the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness. Each year in BC alone, CMHA serves more than 100,000 people all across the province. For mental health and addiction information and resources visit www.cmha.bc.ca.

###

Media Contact:
Lorna Allen
Communications Coordinator – Media, CMHA BC Division
P: 604-688-3234 ext. 6326
E: lorna.allen@cmha.bc.ca

This year, to celebrate early intervention for mental illness b4stage4, the Canadian Mental Health Association is encouraging people to check in on their mental health at bouncebacktoday.ca. Bounce Back Today is a CMHA BC campaign, supported by province-wide TV and radio public service announcements (PSAs), aimed at promoting positive mental health among British Columbians.

The goal of the campaign is to connect with those who may be feeling unwell but have not stopped to consider whether their behaviour changes may be a sign of a mental health problem. The PSAs were created with the intention of sparking reflection about when symptoms become a problem. For example, the occasional sleepless night is not unusual. However, a week of sleepless nights may be an indicator of depression or anxiety disorder.

When people go to bouncebacktoday.ca they are invited to check in on their mental health with a short, anonymous quiz. Depending on their answers, participants are directed to BC-based community resources to help them maintain or improve their mental health.

Bounce Back Today is a great way to promote mental health in your community! We encourage you to share the campaign on your website, on social media, or in your community or workplace.

• Bounce Back Today TV PSA – Depression
• Bounce Back Today TV PSA – Anxiety
• Bounce Back Today Poster – Mental Illness Awareness Week
• Bounce Back Today – animated GIF

And since we’re on the topic of early intervention, please take a moment to check out our new campaign called b4stage4. Get involved and get loud! It’s going to take all of us to change the conversation on mental illness and addiction.

The Bounce Back Today TV and radio PSAs were made possible by the BC Broadcaster’s Association through their 2016 Humanitarian Award. Vancouver-based advertising agency ReThink Communications generously donated time to support the creative development of the PSAs. 

Beyond the Blues Events Help Educate About Depression, Anxiety, Risky Drinking and Good Mental Health

As the leaves fall, people’s moods can too. That’s why October is the ideal time for the 22nd annual Beyond the Blues: Education & Screening Days, which have helped 85,000 people across BC since 1995.

“October is a ripe time to talk about mental health,” says Sarah Hamid-Balma, Director of Mental Health Promotion for the Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division and provincial coordinator for Beyond the Blues. “Families are in the thick of school and work schedules and stresses, and daylight changes can affect routines. Beyond the Blues offers an ideal opportunity to work on prevention, catch mental health problems early and connect to local help in a fun and interactive way”.

Held during or near Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 2-8), Beyond the Blues is an annual awareness day to engage people to learn more about mental health and mental health problems and related issues like risky drinking. For Beyond the Blues 2016, more than 80 local events will be set up across BC this fall.

At an education and screening site, attendees can take part in fun and engaging activities such as videos, games and adult colouring books to learn more about stress, mood and anxiety problems, effective treatments, supports and self-care. They can then fill out short self-tests on well-being, depression, anxiety and risky drinking and talk privately with a clinician about next steps, and find out about local community resources and supports. They can also fill out a well-being self-test that look at features of good mental health like vitality, social support, healthy thinking, and self-esteem.

The events are free, anonymous, confidential and walk-in. Most sites also host presentations and/or health fairs. Anyone is welcome to attend—whether they want to fill out a self-test or not.

“One of our commitments in organizing Beyond the Blues is to create friendly, engaging, and safer spaces for people to start and continue conversations about their mental health—and encouraging reflection on what good mental health looks like. We’re also committed to supporting people in finding and navigating community supports that can help. We want Beyond the Blues participants to leave feeling empowered, better informed, hopeful, and supported,” says Hamid-Balma.

There are specially-tailored screening forms available for adults, older adults, youth, new or expectant mothers, and people who are concerned about a friend or family member. Brief risky drinking screens also help people see the links between their alcohol use, possible harms, and impacts on their mental well-being.

“This event is for anyone, whatever your experience of mental health,” says Hamid-Balma. “The screening and debriefing activities at Beyond the Blues are designed to support people in educating themselves so that they can see what’s going well for them, where their strengths are, and also recognize the signs and know what to do next if they or someone they care about is affected down the road.”

To see all 80+ BC events in October and beyond, please visit www.heretohelp.bc.ca/beyond-the-blues

5 tips to help stay beyond the blues this fall

Cold bugs aren’t the only thing we should be thinking about keeping at bay; our mental immune system can use a boost. CMHA BC offers five common-sense tips for protecting your mental well-being this fall:

1. Embrace routines – For many of us, getting back to the grind of work and school can be challenging but our routines can actually be very healthy for us, says Hamid-Balma, and especially for kids. “If you build healthy habits now—including regular slots for exercise, clubs or social outings—you’re less likely to drop them when it gets cold and dark,” she says.
2. Build some outside time in – As daylight changes begin to really sink in, people can find themselves commuting both ways to school or work in the dark, and retired people may find themselves not leaving the house much. Finding small ways to take breaks and get outside during the day is a good idea, even more so if you’re prone to winter blues. Add a quick brisk walk with a friend and you’ve added two more mental health boosters: exercise and social support.
3. Get more face-time with people – Social media, texting, and video-calling can be great ways to stay in touch with loved ones or make new friends. Use them to enhance rather than replace face-to-face interactions. Make a date to talk to someone in real life at a regular time each week or month. If you don’t have a close friend or relative nearby, see if there’s a local Meetup group or club you’d like to join, walk your dog with a neighbour, or try tai chi at the mall.
4. Little more water, little less caffeine – Water replenishes brain cells and helps you concentrate and feel less tired. Most of us don’t drink enough of it. While you’re drinking more water, try to also limit caffeinated drinks because they can dehydrate you, make you anxious or reduce the quality (and quantity) of your sleep. Try more often to have herbal tea, decaffeinated black tea, or smaller cups of coffee.
5. If you can’t solve your problem, solve a different one. If you’re stressed out by a problem that just doesn’t seem to budge, it could be that you’re trying to solve the wrong problem. “A common example,” Hamid-Balma says, “is when we frame our problem as one of how to change someone else’s behaviour when our own behaviour is all we really have control over. Sometimes just by reframing the problem, we might be able to do something about it and reduce our stress.”
   For more tips and strategies, visit a local Beyond the Blues event.

Provincial media contact:
Sarah Hamid-Balma | Canadian Mental Health Association | 1-800-555-8222 or 778-372-5078

*NOTE TO MEDIA ABOUT VISUALS: Media are asked not to attend these events for photos or interviews to respect the anonymity and confidentiality of attendees. For visuals, see stock photos of a person filling out a screen online at www.heretohelp.bc.ca/about/media or contact your local site planner to see about getting photos/footage before the event day, such as of shots of displays or speakers; or having a journalist go through a mock screening interview.

About our Supporters
Funding for provincial coordination of Beyond the Blues has been provided by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority, with additional support from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Special thanks also to provincial media sponsor Black Press, and to our vast list of provincial endorsing agencies.

About the Canadian Mental Health Association BC Division (CMHA BC)
CMHA BC is a part of Canada’s most established mental health charity and the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health. CMHA helps people access the resources they need to maintain and improve mental health, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness. Each year in BC alone, CMHA serves more than 100,000 people all across the province.

About HeretoHelp
CMHA BC is proud to be affiliated with HeretoHelp. HeretoHelp is a project of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information, a group of non-profit agencies providing good-quality information to help individuals and families maintain or improve their mental well-being. The BC Partners are funded by BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, an agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority.