Premiers gather with nurses unions & mental health commission for health briefing

News Release - for immediate release

Briefing entitled Access through Innovation: Maximizing Federal Mental Health Funding

(Tuesday July 18, 2017 – EDMONTON) – This morning, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) co-hosted a premiers’ breakfast briefing on mental health care with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and the Premier of Alberta as part of this week’s premiers’ summit in Edmonton. 

The briefing featured two speakers who have dedicated much of their careers to improving mental health care in Canada. Hon. Michael Kirby is a former Senator and current Founding Chair of Partners for Mental Health, and Tazz Norris (a.k.a. Big Daddy Tazz) is a Canadian mental health motivational speaker.  

The premiers heard statistics showing that 20% of Canadian children and youth will develop a mental illness by age 25, 43% of Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness over the course of their lifetime, and 50% of family doctors’ time is spent addressing mental health issues or illnesses. As well, mental illness costs the Canadian economy upwards of $50 billion per year.  

“Over the coming years, the federal government will invest over $5 billion in targeted funding for mental health services delivered by the provinces and territories,” said Linda Silas, President of the CFNU. “As nurses working with patients and families, we believe it is crucial that these public dollars be invested effectively on innovative approaches to improve access to appropriate mental health services.” 

In the wake of the new federal investment, provinces must act soon to level the playing field and put mental health care on an equal footing with physical health care. All Canadians need better, timelier access to quality and appropriate mental health services 

“The most important, and cost-effective, innovation in mental health is to provide psychotherapy to all, starting with children and youth,” said Kirby, who briefed premiers on needed innovations to mental health care. “This innovation would enable young Canadians to overcome mental illness by early adulthood and, as a result, would save governments millions of dollars.” Kirby was Chair of the Senate Committee which authored the 2006 ground-breaking report Out of the Shadows: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada. 

“In Nova Scotia, we continue to see facilities struggling to cope with the demand for mental health services. It is taking a toll those requiring care, but also on nurses and other health care providers. This has to be a priority for government and health administrators,” said Janet Hazelton, president of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union who is in Edmonton for the premier’s summit. 

The CFNU will continue to work with federal, provincial and territorial governments to improve public health care services for all people living in Canada, says Silas. 

The NSNU represents approximately 7000 Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners and Licensed Practical Nurses working in hospitals, long term care facilities, and community care (VON and Canadian Blood Services). NSNU acute care locals include the IWK and hospitals located in Zone 4, formerly Capital District Health Authority (including the Dartmouth General and Cobequid Community Health Centre) and all other Zones in the province. The NSNU represents nurses in the vast majority of long-term care facilities throughout the province. The NSNU is a member organization of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions which represents over 200,000 nurses and student nurses across Canada. 

Contact 

Janet Hazelton, President of the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union, 
at 902-456-2084 or janet.hazelton [at] nsnu.ca 

Coleen Logan, NSNU Communications Officer, at 902-430-6169 or coleen.logan [at] nsnu.ca 
Dave Cournoyer, Communications Advisor for United Nurses of Alberta, at 780-913-1563 or 
dcournoyer [at] una.ab.ca 

Sebastian Ronderos-Morgan, CFNU Government Relations Officer, at 613-513-7754 or sebastian [at] nursesunions.ca