Join us this week—and every week—in advocating for more mental health supports

It’s Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), a national public education campaign that aims to open the eyes of Canadians to the reality of mental illness.

This is a no-brainer for our clients, their families, and our supporters. Most of whom live and breathe this reality every hour of every day.

That’s why the community-based mental health services Coast Mental Health provides are so important, but there is more work to do and that’s why we advocate for provincial and federal governments to step up and properly fund mental health services.

Only then can we achieve the MIAW goals of awareness, access, and parity for mental health and substance use care in Canada.

Talk the talk

We take every opportunity to advocate, support, and promote recovery for people living with mental illness.

This past June, CEO Keir Macdonald made a presentation to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services.

We also continue to host tours to familiarize government decision-makers with our community mental health services and programming.

These conversations are amplified through our Yes, In My Backyard campaign, which formalizes our recommendations to government.

Through this campaign, we have made five recommendations to the BC Government, including an ask for dedicated affordable and accessible housing with mental health supports to assist people living with mental illness. 

Walk the Walk

Finding as many ways as possible to implement our recommendations is a priority for us. We don’t limit ourselves to asking others to act; we get involved with grassroots movements too.

Last month, we were part of a healing journey in preparation for the September 30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation activities in Maple Ridge.

Researchers assert that Indigenous people suffer a disproportionate burden of mental illness that is associated with intergenerational trauma caused by Indigenous residential schools across Canada that continued until the 1990s.

To address these historical wrongs, Canada is actively decolonizing its practices to create more equity for Indigenous communities. Coast Mental Health is also taking steps to decolonize practices with the support of an Indigenous advisor, and it is working with local Indigenous groups, such as the Katzie First Nation, to incorporate culturally appropriate practices to better support people who identify as Indigenous in Coast Mental Health programs. 

Other ways we walk the walk can be seen through partnerships like Better Together, a City of Vancouver initiative. Workers from our Peer Support Program, generously funded by Coast Mental Health Foundation donors, engage with the neighborhood’s unhoused community, offering coffee, sandwiches, and harm-reduction supplies.

The Peer Support Program teaches participants how to use their firsthand experiences with mental illness and the challenges of recovery in roles that support other clients.

Through their advocacy efforts, they are also helping connect people to heath care services. We are encouraged to see the positive impact our Peer Support Team makes in this community.

How change happens?

Fundraising is another staple in our advocacy efforts at Coast Mental Health. Through the Courage To Come Back Awards, and ongoing fundraising activities, we bring together government and local business leaders who can address significant social issues in our communities. 

We are indebted to the Coast Mental Health Foundation for its amazing work raising awareness and funds to transform the lives of people with mental illness through our exceptional and innovative community-based services.

The annual Courage To Come Back Awards has raised over $24 million in its 25-year history. The event not only raises much-needed funds to support vital community-based mental health services, but it also has played an important role in destigmatizing mental illness.

Advocacy is an important part of Coast Mental Health’s mission, as we strive to increase awareness and reduce barriers caused by the stigma of mental illness.

As part of MIAW, we are sharing the many different ways Coast Mental Health is showing up to talk the talk and walk the walk in support of mental health.

“Mental Health is Health. It is the very foundation upon which we build our lives,” said CEO Keir Macdonald. “When we acknowledge that mental health is health, we break down the barriers of stigma and pave the way for a healthier society.”