Mental Illness Awareness Week

To mark Mental Illness Awareness Week, Mary Simon called on the federal government to commit federal funding for culturally relevant mental wellness programs across the Arctic.

“Inuit face unique barriers to mental health care, including a profound lack of health professionals, which leads to tragic delays in treatment,” said Mary Simon.

We need centres that can offer diagnoses, treatment and after-care for all Inuit, from youth to adults to elders to families, in a way that is respectful to our traditions and our needs.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 4-10) is a national public awareness campaign to draw attention to the realities of mental illness in Canada.

Increased support for Inuit mental wellness programs is one of the recommendations of the Alianait Inuit Mental Wellness Action Plan, a draft document prepared by a multi-party committee including representatives from land claims organizations, territorial, provincial and federal governments and national Inuit organizations. The final document is slated for release in 2010.