CAMIMH Seeks Nominations for the 12th Annual - Faces of Mental Illness Campaign

OTTAWA, April 29^th, 2014 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) officially launched the 12^th annual Faces of Mental Illness campaign and seeks nominations from the public.  The campaign selects five individuals and provides avenues for them to share their experiences of living with mental illnesses, and finding recovery. These stories are shared through the dissemination of hundreds of thousands of pieces of promotional materials, in profile videos and through media and political engagement.

"The Faces of Mental Illness are advocates within their own communities, and this campaign allows that advocacy to be shared on a much larger scale.  Their lived experiences are a crucial part of the conversation that we can share with Members of Parliament, political decision makers, stakeholders and the public," said Florence Budden, CAMIMH Campaign Chair 2014.   "The theme for the 2014 Mental Illness Awareness Week campaign is ACT!ON mental health.  The Faces of Mental Illness will all be people who embody this attitude."

The Faces of Mental Illness campaign is a key component of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) running from October 5^th-11^th 2014. The campaign is made possible by the generous support and commitment of Bell, CAMIMH's Presenting Sponsor, as part of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative.  CAMIMH would also like to recognize Lundbeck Canada for their generous contribution as Premier Sponsor.

"This campaign is all about education.  The Faces of Mental Illness have often experienced stigma and have turned their experiences into really inspiring opportunities to show Canadians that mental illness has many faces – faces familiar to all of us," concluded Budden.

To nominate yourself or someone else for the campaign, please visit camimh.ca.  Nominations will be accepted until May 29^th, 2014. The 2014 Faces will be announced in late June.  CAMIMH would once again like to thank their generous sponsors who make this campaign possible:  Bell Let's Talk, Lundbeck Canada, The Mental Health Commission of Canada and Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D).

Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of national mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.

SOURCE: Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health

Kalene DeBaeremaeker, Faces of Mental Illness Committee, Tel: [phone], Email: [email protected]