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THE NCWC EDUCATION FUND (NCWCEF)
AND
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF WOMEN OF CANADA
(NCWC)
ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
THE NEW COMMON PROGRAM FOR 2011-2013
WOMEN AND MENTAL HEALTH
The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) and the NCWC Education Fund (NCWCEF) announced the Common Program for NCWC at the Annual Meeting held in Winnipeg, Manitoba in June, 2011. During the next two years, the NCWC and the NCWC Education Fund will be working on this issue in many ways – education, research, advocacy, and linking with other interested individuals, community agencies and organizations. We want to make a difference!
The Romanow Commission’s Final Report on the Future of Health Care in Canada described mental health as the “orphan child” of health care in Canada, and recommended that it be brought into the mainstream of public health care. Leading organizations and experts, including NCWC, across the country have echoed the concern that mental health and addictions have been marginalized in health care despite the fact they directly affect one in five Canadians and have severe social, employment and economic implications. It is estimated that mental health problems/illnesses cost approximately $14 billion annually. Mental illnesses and disorders are the seventh highest among all diseases in terms of the overall cost of illness. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts that by the year 2010 depression (over-represented in women) will be second only to ischemic heart disease in terms of global burden of illness. In addition, mental illness is the second leading cause of hospital use among those aged 20 to 44, a period of life normally associated with high productivity.
This web site will be used to share information, to report on work of our members from across Canada, and to identify key issues that we think need addressing. Facebook will be another way of getting out information, so be sure to sign up.
You can support our work on Women and Mental Health by giving to the NCWC Education Fund. It is a Registered Charity, and you can donate on line at CanadaHelps. All donations over $10.00 will receive a charitable receipt.
-- Released May 8th, 2012, The Mental Health Strategy for Canada, Changing Directions, Changing Lives
-- Request for Abstracts for the 5th International Stigma Conference June 4 - 6, 2012.
-- Report prepared by Thelma McGillivray, VP NCWC, Social Development, on the presentation by Dr. Valerie Taylor, Chief Psychiatrist - Women's College Hospital, Toronto,Ontario.
-- The Mental Health Commission of Canada announces Mental Health First Aid Training - Mental Health First Aid Canada is a 12-hour training course delivered in four modules of three hours each. Participants will learn how to provide initial help to people who are showing signs of a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis.
-- A call to action on the oppression of girls and women around the world by Patricia Nicholson
-- Return on Investment Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention - by Canadian Policy Network at the University of Western Ontario."Mental health issues will be among the leading causes of disability in Canada by 2030, yet there is limited information about the costs of interventions for mental illness prevention and mental health promotion. This scoping study found that there is research showing a return on investment for some mental health promotion/illness prevention interventions. The strongest evidence was for interventions targeting children and youth (such as those that focus on conduct disorders, depression, parenting, and suicide awareness and prevention), while the weakest evidence was from the workplace sector….”
Ella Amir, Executive Director of AMI-Quebec Action on Mental Illness (formerly Alliance for the Mentally Ill), spoke on "Who Cares for the Caregivers?".
Beverley Goodwin, Life Member, Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba, and Chair of the Panel, who spoke on her own personal journey, and experiences with the Mental Health system.
Lori Peters, Coordinator of the Provincial Eating Disorder Prevention and Recovery Program in Winnipeg, who spoke on Popular Culture’s Influence on the Mental Health and Body Image of Girls and Women.
Roberta Stout, a researcher with Prairie Women's Health Centre of Excellence focusing on
Aboriginal Women's Health and the power point presentation shown at the meeting.
Women have unique experiences of mental illness. Women have depression more often than men, for example, and are depressed in different ways. Many women have traumatic experiences that affect their mental health, such as violence and abuse. Mothers with mental illness face particular challenges. Achieving balance between work and home life is one of the keys to improving women's mental health. Girls are experiencing eating disorders in larger and larger numbers. Youth suicide is increasing.
NCWC has a history of developing strong resolutions and policy in the area of Mental Health. We know too that Councils have developed provincial policies, and programs. The Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba produced, with other community partners, a DVD, The Way We See It, a documentary in support of individuals who live with mental illness and their families. They also released a Discussion Paper, in 2006 which examines Perspectives of Families and Clients within the Current Mental Health System in Manitoba. The paper also shows the importance of Medical Examiner's Reports and the fact that Enquiry Reports and the recommendations are mostly ignored.
In 2009, NCWC urged the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and territories to:
...a) develop a national mental health system which is comprehensive, integrated, and accessible to all, and sensitive to linguistic and communication issues including language and culture that will be accessible to residents of Canada;
... b) address as part of the national plan, priority issues including:
. i. public education about mental illness,
.ii. early intervention programs with infants, pre-school children and school age children,
.iii. community treatment programs for all children, including age-appropriate facilities for adolescents
. iv. support for families with children with a mental health illness,
. v. access to supportive housing for the homeless with mental health problems,
. vi. treatment for mental illness as an alternative to incarceration or as a component of incarceration for
offenders with mental illness, and
. vii. reduction of wait times for assessment and treatment
... c) ensure adequate funding for mental health services
The World Health Organization (WHO) of Mental Health states: Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
According to WHO, advocacy is the key to building the momentum on mental health. Politicians and the general public are only partly aware of the fact that effective treatment of most mental disorders is possible. The image of mental illness is contaminated with images of violence, sin and laziness. Most health workers are not conversant with modern methods of treatment of mental illness and often do not possess the necessary skills to deal with it. Among them there are many who believe that the only way of dealing with mental illness is long term hospital care. In the majority of countries, including developed ones, there is no parity of care for mental and physical illnesses. Stigma of mental illness gains strength from these misconceptions and reinforces them.
Advocacy objectives include, among others: the promotion of human rights of the persons with mental disorders and of their families, and monitoring the life conditions of people with mental illness and their families. Parity of care needs to be assured in all health schemes. Successful advocacy efforts require, among others:
to motivate the decision-makers;
to empower consumers, families and NGOs by, for example, promoting the establishment and work of the organizations, creating appropriate lobbying bodies;
to organize and launch with interested parties anti-stigma programmes in all population groups;
to collaborate with the media by, for example, informing more objectively about problems and solutions, creating a cultural change with regard to issues related to mental disorders;
to promote, with all parties concerned, programmes leading to reduce the burden of the selected disorders noted above and the risk factors for suicide, particularly of the young, and the provision of support to the survivors; and
to authoritatively inform decision-makers regarding the mental health impact of economic and social policies.
NCWC and NCWC Education Fund will support the work on the Common Program by educating our members, and the community on the very important topic of Women and Mental Health. Following are some basic resources for you to review. We will also identify upcoming programs supported by Local and Provincial Councils so book mark this page, and come back often.!
.. A research paper on "Healing traditions: culture,community and mental health
promotion with Canadian Aboriginal peoples"
·· To order copies of the DVD, The Way We See It, contact the Provincial Council of Women of Manitoba (pcwm@mts.net)
· OUT OF THE SHADOWS AT LAST Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada
The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology; The Honourable Michael J. L. Kirby, Chair The Honourable Wilbert Joseph Keon, Deputy Chair,
May 2006
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/SEN/Committee/391/soci/rep/rep02may06-e.htm
· Open Letter from Louise Bradley, CEO Mental Health Commission of Canada, outlining future directions of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/Evaluation/Public_Response.pdf
· Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction in Canada: An Overview Canadian Women’s Health Network
http://www.cwhn.ca/PDF/womenMentalHealth.pdf
· Women and Mental Health (National Institute of Mental Health)
http://nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml
· Women and Mental Health – a Global Perspective by Janice Wood Wetzel
http://digilib.bc.edu/reserves/sw798/wetzel798.pdf
· Gender disparities and mental health: The Facts (World Health Organization)
http://www.who.int/mental_health/prevention/genderwomen/en/
·· Women, Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction in Canada Response to Out of the Shadows at Last
http://www.cwhn.ca/resources/cwhn/mentalHealth.html
·· TURNING THE KEY Assessing Housing and Related Supports for Persons Living with Mental Health Problems and Illnesses
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/SiteCollectionDocuments/service%20systems/Turning_the_Key_FINAL.pdf
.. Resources for parents and caregivers (Kelty Mental Health Resourc Centre), British Columbia
http://keltymentalhealth.ca/
For a time, we will continue to have the material on the NCWC and the NCWC Education Fund project on the Water/Energy Connections posted here. NCWCEF and NCWC were pleased to give our members and
the much broader general public the opportunity to be involved in our joint
Water/Energy Connections Project as it explored the multitude of water/energy
connections in such areas as:
The overall energy/water/climate nexus
Tar Sands - the use of huge amounts of water to
produce oil and extraction impacts on Lake Athabasca and surrounding eco-systems
Nuclear Power - mining, processing, waste management,
trucking, release of tritium into the Great Lakes
Hydro Electric - huge mega -dams impacts on river
systems and their eco-systems
The 'Soft Path' for Water and the 'Soft Energy
' Path---looking at the co- benefits of water and energy conservation.
The project was directed by Gracia Janes, Chair of the NCWC Education Fund, and the research/writing
was done by Dr. John Bacher, author of Petrotyranny-Dundurn Press (foreword
David Suzuki); author of 'TWO BILLION TREES AND COUNTING' - The Legacy of Edmund Zavitz . Dundurn Natural Heritage . 2011 and
researcher for the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society
(estb.1976); Board member, Coalition on the Niagara Escarpment and, former
Ontario Drainage Board Tribunal member.
As part of the Water/Energy Connections Project
NCWC Representative Elizabeth Hutchinson attended the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) conference on Canadian Water:Towards a New Strategy. Her report is available here.
Highly recommended reading: FLOW Monitor to read about Canadian water issues. In the first issue, read about important developments including Environment Canada's progress on key national water priorities, efforts to develop a comprehensive Federal freshwater strategy and recent developments in First Nations drinking water policies.
Clean Water, Green Jobs In partnership with the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association, the Alliance for Water Efficiency and the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance, released Clean Water, Green Jobs: A Stimulus Package for Sustainable Water Infrastructure Investments . The plan focuses on repairing and renewing existing water infrastructure, restoring green infrastructure and conserving water and energy.
Thanks to all of you who completed the Water-Energy Use Survey. Results are now tabulated and available here.
The powerpoint presentation by Andrew Nikiforuk at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Women of Canada in Prince Albert Myth of Abundance. This presentation reviews the connection between water and energy in a striking way, as the ratio of water use to energy extraction in the Tar Sands is 3 to 1. His book, "Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of the Content" is recommended reading.
A Presentation by Ralph Pentland which is quite informative and would be a good resouce for those interested in water issues. Ths was a presentation at the Midwestern Legislative Conference, Toronto, 9 August, 2010.
Brief to the to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable
Development Re the Oil Sands and Water Resources 31st of August, 2009.
Highlights of the Water /Energy Project are :
2008 AGM in Ottawa - Launch of the project with
luncheon speaker Ralph Pentland, author of the Federal government's 1987
Water Policy, who spoke on "21st
Century Energy and Water Policies" and an afternoon panel of energy/water
experts and advocates e.g. Tony
Maas, Senior Freshwater Policy Advisor, World Wild Life Fund . Other
speakers included John Jackson,
Director of Clean Production, Great Lakes United and Dr. Gordon Edwards,
President, Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility.
6 quarterly newsletters circulated to our many
members across Canada; and available here
The seventh edition January, 2011;
The sixth edition February, 2010;
the fifth edition Fall of 2009;
the fourth edition Summer 2009;
the third edition Spring 2009;
the second edition Winter 2008;
and the the first edition Fall 2008.
10-15 Common Programs held by Local and Provincial
Councils of Women over the two year period, with financial help from the
Grant, to provide expert speakers on a variety of water/energy issues -
target audience the public, affiliated member groups, the press
A survey on personal water/energy use sent out
to 3000 Canadians (and now on the web) and a report to Federal
government with recommendations
Regular flash sheets and articles by the Project
Co-ordinator, Researcher and outside expert advisors such as John Jackson
and Ralph Pentland (and others) on web site and in newsletter
Background
"Almost everything we do or use in life,
from the essential, such as eating, to the merely frivolous, that of. taking
a luxury cruise, requires energy, and, to varying degrees, has an impact
on the protection of present and future freshwater resources."
(unknown source)
The ability of federal, provincial, territorial and
local governments and individual Canadians to protect freshwater resources
relies on the public being knowledgeable about all aspects of the life-cycle
of water, acting as individuals and groups to make a difference, and informing
governments at all levels of the need for far sighted programs and policies
to protect and sustain this vital life-resource.
The National Council of Women of Canada, representing
many thousands of Canadians from a very broad diversity of backgrounds,
through our 17 Local Councils of Women, 24 Nationally Organized Society
Affiliated members and 5 Provincial Councils of Women in British Columbia,
Saskatchewan. Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba, has for many years recognized
the need for protection of fresh water resources and for the "soft"
energy path of energy conservation and efficiencies and renewables, rather
than traditional energy sources that are water-destructive and unsustainable.
To this end, NCWC and NCWEF have engaged in two very
significant projects in the past 16 years. The most recent, our 2006, 2007
Common Program on Water, was jointly organized with the NCW Education Fund
(NCWEF). It involved public meetings across Canada and an expert Panel on
Canada's Water at our 2007 AGM in Regina. Funded by a grant from the Walter
and Duncan Gordon Foundation the panel featured 6 presentations by experts
in the areas of drought, water diversions, industrial energy resource impacts
on water, water and the law, trade agreements and the need for a national
water strategy. A report -
Water 2007 has been prepared.
This latter program drew our attention back once
more to the strong inter-relationship between the public's use of, and government
support of, very damaging energy sources such as oil, coal and nuclear,
as well as the benefits of Canadians moving to the 'soft' energy path.-
factors that were front and centre in NCWC's 1992-95 Environment Canada
Greenplan Partners Project .
Those very many NCWC members who participated in
that earlier program, will remember how much public interest our energy
conservation programs stirred up across the country from Halifax to Fort
St. John ; what an excellent source of information the Conserver Newsletter
was; the many helpful tips to apply to our own lives that were gleaned from
public forum speakers and the expert NCWC AGM resource speakers e.g. Marjorie
Lamb , author of 2 Minutes a Day for a Greener Planet, and the amazingly
good response from over 560 respondents to our Energy Conservation- Making
a Difference survey.
And, those of you who attended our AGM in Regina
last Spring , or read about it on our web
site or in NCWC's 2007 Summer Newsletter,
will know of the huge challenge Canadians are facing and must overcome,
to protect their limited fresh water resources, particularly in light of
climate change. We know also, that within this daunting future, our energy
use will play a huge role. It is our hope that with the knowledge gained
from this project that NCWEF and NCWC can better help our members, the general
public and the legislators understand the challenges and help shape a more
sustainable future for Canada's freshwater resources - and our environment
generally.
At the Annual Meeting in Edmonton, 2004, the Celebrating Women project
was launched. This was a national touring art exhibition honouring the passion,
pride and perseverance of Canadian Women. The exhibit featured the artwork
of Canadian artist Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn and is a dynamic statement
about the impact women have had on Canadian history.
Celebrating Women is sponsored by the National Council of Women of
Canada. Developed as an education and fund raising project, Celebrating Women toured across Canada in 2004-06.
We continue to invite orders of the wonderful pieces of art, by Larisa,and limited quantities of merchandise are available.
We welcome inquires about purchasing the art work - you can phone or e-mail at 1 613 232 5024 or ncwc@magma.ca
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