Dr. Catherine Zahn made a passionate plea for federal-provincial health care agreements to include mental health funding. “People with mental illness still fight every day to have their human rights, their civil rights and their health care rights respected and protected,” Dr. Zahn told a November meeting of the Economic Club in Ottawa. “A failure of the current negotiations to include substantive and practical action for mental health care would be a serious miss on a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” During recent Health Accord negotiations, CAMH joined other national organizations to publicly advocate for earmarked mental health funding. Nearly every province secured funding for mental health from the federal government, including $1.9 billion to be invested in Ontario over the next decade. “Make mental health a priority,” was also the message delivered by Dr. Zahn during a productive meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his office on Parliament Hill in November. CAMH is encouraged by the Prime Minister’s commitment to improving mental health care across the country.
“A failure of the current negotiations to include substantive and practical action for mental health care would be a serious miss on a once-in-a-generation opportunity.”
— Dr. Catherine Zahn
In January 2017, CAMH President and CEO Dr. Catherine Zahn invited Canada’s business community to “join in on the conversations about the health, economic and social justice issues of our time — mental illness.”
It was a message she repeated to an audience at the Empire Club of Canada in February where she reflected on the history of mental health care in Canada, how governments can make meaningful change, and what gives her hope for the future.
CAMH is helping Canada combat the opioid crisis by issuing a timely Prescription Opioid Policy Framework with recommendations for government policy makers. “Misuse of prescription opioids has had serious consequences in communities nationwide,” says Dr. Peter Selby, one of many CAMH researchers, scientists and policy specialists who contributed to the blueprint document. “This policy framework is one of the many ways CAMH is using its position as a leading mental health research centre to contribute to meaningful policy change.”
Dr. Catherine Zahn, CAMH President & CEO, was appointed to the federal government’s Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation in June. CAMH has long advocated for the reform of Canada’s system of cannabis control, and our voice is well represented among the recommendations that will help shape a new public-health focused regulatory framework for the consumption of cannabis.
To help commemorate Canada’s 150th Birthday, CAMH has launched 150 Leading Canadians for Mental Health, an initiative to recognize Canadians who are making a difference. A national committee co-chaired by Sandi and Jim Treliving has invited Canadians to nominate people with lived experience, family members, health care professionals, advocates and volunteers who are making change across the country, in communities and internationally.
“We want to hear about the inspirational Canadians beyond our hospital. This initiative is our way of surfacing and celebrating difference makers from coast to coast,” said Darrell Louise Gregersen.
CAMH challenged Canadians to step up and stay up during the annual One Brave Night for Mental Health. This year the campaign rallied over 3,000 participants from across the country and more than 9,500 donors who raised more than $1 million to help improve access to care and support others on their journey to recovery. “This year One Brave Night united even more Canadians to shine a light on mental illness,” said Darrell Louise Gregersen, CAMH Foundation President & CEO.
