OTTAWA, July 31, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) announced the five Canadians selected for the 11th annual Faces of Mental Illness campaign. CAMIMH received nearly 100 nominations from across Canada of people living in recovery from mental illness.
"Every one of the nominees had truly inspiring stories to share, it was a very difficult decision," said Dr. Karen Cohen, CAMIMH Campaign Chair 2013. "This year's Faces represent strength and resilience while showing Canadians that with appropriate access to services and support, recovery from mental illness is possible. CAMIMH is grateful they are allowing their personal stories of recovery and triumph to inspire millions."
Throughout the next year, the five Faces will take part in events and campaigns to help deliver the message to all Canadians that recovery from mental illness is possible. The Faces of Mental Illness campaign is sponsored by Bell as part of the Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative. The campaign consists of the following elements: a marquee event on Parliament Hill during Mental Illness Awareness Week; featuring the Faces in national public service announcements aired across Canada; the participation of the Faces in a national media outreach campaign to tell their stories and carry on the vital mental health conversation in this country.
This year's Faces of Mental Illness 2013 are:
| Karen Aujla | A student from Surrey, British Colombia and the youngest ever speaker for the Speakers Bureau with the Mood Disorder Society of British Columbia. | |
| Marli Brown | A social worker, a wife and a mother from Dauphin, Manitoba who advocates for family support as part of the healing process from mental illness. | |
| Arthur Gallant | A former Crown Ward from Burlington, Ontario who inspires youth through his extensive advocacy work. | |
| Bernard Saulnier | A blogger and researcher for a local radio show about mental health, from Montreal, Quebec. | |
| Lenore Zann | An award-winning Nova Scotian actor-turned-politician with 17 years of recovery from substance abuse, who uses her creativity to empower her community while helping others who still struggle with their addictions. |
Canadians can now order free posters, postcards, bookmarks and silicone bracelets featuring the stories of the five Faces of Mental Illness for 2013, while engaging Canadians in a public conversation about mental health. "The materials will be delivered in time for MIAW 2013 when the conversation is heightened by events across the country and the involvement of Parliamentarians. We hope these stories will help to grow the conversation about mental illness and will help to show Canadians that recovery is possible and that we must advocate for changes to limited access to mental health services," concluded Dr. Cohen.
To learn more about the campaign, or to order campaign materials, please visit camimh.ca. CAMIMH would once again like to thank its generous sponsors who make this campaign possible: Bell, Lundbeck Canada Inc., Impact Public Affairs, Janssen and 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
Tel: 613-233-8906
Email: [email protected]
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