CAMIMH sets out Bold Mental Health Policy Agenda

Mental Health Now! policy document urges investments in Mental Health for all Canadians

OTTAWA, Sept. 6, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is excited to announce the launch of its comprehensive policy document, entitled Mental Health Now! This document represents a powerful call to action for all governments as a new Health Accord is negotiated, and presents concrete recommendations that would improve the mental health of millions of Canadians.

"We are very excited about this document, as it represents a consensus view of the 16 CAMIMH members who together represent hundreds of thousands of Canadian healthcare providers and individuals living with and recovering from mental illness," said Lisa Crawley, CAMIMH Co-Chair. "CAMIMH and its members are calling on the federal government to increase direct funding for mental health services and to enact a number of specific policies that would increase the access to and quality of mental health services for millions of Canadians."

CAMIMH's recommendations are based on five pillars:

1. Ensure sustainable funding for access to mental health services by increasing the federal share of mental health spending to 25 per cent of the total, which would result in $777.5 million more in additional annual federal direct funding support for mental health services.
2. Accelerate the adoption of proven and promising mental health innovations with a five-year $100 million Mental Health Innovation Fund.
3. Measure, manage and monitor the mental health system's performance by establishing pan-Canadian mental health indicators.
4. Establish an expert advisory panel on mental health.
5. Invest in social infrastructure.

"Taken together, these five pillars represent a bold new agenda for mental health policy in Canada," said Chris Summerville, CAMIMH Co-Chair. "We are calling on governments at all levels to cooperate to make meaningful financial, policy and regulatory investments in our mental health care system for the benefit of all Canadians and, ultimately, the Canadian economy."

The Mental Health Now! complete document is available at http://www.camimh.ca/public-affairs/advocacy/

Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of 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

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Charlotte Webber, [email protected], 613 233 8906