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Nanaimo mental health services facing backlog

May 28th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Nanaimo mental health services facing backlog)

“What happens is people suffering with mental illness often are homeless or drug taking, and if you are homeless and drug taking you generally come to the attention of police”

NANAIMO–Over a decade spent on the streets of Nanaimo, France Tellier saw how people with mental illness sometimes wound up behind bars rather than in treatment.

The strategy from the Mental Health Commission of Canada calls for spending on mental health to increase from 7% to 9% of total health spending over 10 years, an increase of as much as $4 billion.

Canada’s first mental-health strategy would fix a healthcare system its authors say is so fractured and under-funded it’s turning prisons and jails into the “asylums of the 21st century.” (more…)

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Mental illness can affect the entire family

May 24th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Mental illness can affect the entire family)

What are the challenges—and what does Canada’s new mental health strategy have to say about it?

Canada’s first-ever national mental health strategy was released on May 8, 2012, after five years of extensive consultations across the country. Changing Directions, Changing Lives [opens to PDF] represents a blueprint for change and provides six strategic directions.

The Strategy focuses on improving mental health and well-being for all people living in Canada and on creating a mental health system that can truly meet the needs of people of all ages living with mental health problems and illnesses—and their families. (more…)

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An overview of the new Canadian mental health strategy

May 17th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on An overview of the new Canadian mental health strategy)

After five years of extensive consultation, the Mental Health Commission of Canada presents a first for the country

Changing Directions, Changing Lives is the first mental health strategy for Canada. Its purpose is to help improve mental health and well-being for all people living in Canada and to create a mental health system that can truly meet the needs of people of all ages living with mental health problems and illnesses and their families. It was released on May 8, 2012. (more…)

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Not a choice, not a phase, it’s a disease

February 9th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Not a choice, not a phase, it’s a disease)

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses, and there isn’t enough care, treatment, and support available to help

A province-wide advocacy group working on behalf of adults with eating disorders recently met with the British Columbia minster of health. The meeting coincided with the government’s review of services available at the community level in B.C.’s health authorities.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses, with 10 to 20 per cent of people affected dying from complications. The Advocacy for Adults with Eating Disorders group told B.C.’s health minister that there aren’t enough supports or treatment options for people struggling with eating disorders in the province. (more…)

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Psych meds heavily used on BC elders

January 19th, 2012 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on Psych meds heavily used on BC elders)

Government report says that over half of the elders in British Columbia care homes are given anti-psychotic medications

The B.C. ministry of health released a report [opens to PDF] in December which revealed that just over half of all elders in residential care facilities are being medicated with anti-psychotic drugs. The report identified a need for greater awareness of issues surrounding dementia and health care consent. Advocates and experts in the care of elders are concerned about the high rate of atypical anti-psychotic use in long-term care settings. (more…)

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After the ruling, what’s next?

October 6th, 2011 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized - (Comments Off on After the ruling, what’s next?)

The Insite decision could signal a fundamental change in the way Canadian society approaches and deals with addiction

The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision of September 30, 2011 regarding the continuation of the Insite supervised injection site has been seen as a victory for harm reduction policies and provincial and individual rights. It has also been portrayed as a repudiation of the Harper government’s focus on incarceration and punishment as an approach for dealing with drug-related social and health problems…a triumph of reason over ideology.

Now a larger question looms. What impacts might this decision have beyond the Vancouver supervised injection program—which is the only program of its kind in North America? It seems certain that ongoing ideological battles over harm reduction haven’t ended. But is it possible that the court’s decision reflects a fundamental change in the way Canadian society approaches and deals with addiction and its associated harms?

We look at the supervised injection program—and the court decision—with three guests. (more…)

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