Get Ready to Face It: Mental Illness Awareness Week kicks off October 3. MIAW Champs announced.

Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health Announces Recipients of Eighth Annual Champions of Mental Health Awards

September 30, 2010

Ottawa – The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is getting ready to kick-off Mental Illness Awareness Week 2010 on October 3rd – a week dedicated to raising awareness among Canadians about the serious impact mental illnesses have on our society.“Approximately one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point during their lifetime,” said MIAW Chair Dr. Pamela Forsythe. “The goal of Mental Illness Awareness Week is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, and ensure better understanding and access to diagnosis, treatment and other services.”

The year-long MIAW campaign – “Face Mental Illness” –shares inspirational stories of Canadians from coast-to-coast affected by mental illness. This year, campaign materials were distributed in English and French to over 6000 organizations across Canada. These materials, produced by CAMIMH, feature five Canadians, the “Faces of Mental Illness”, who are living successfully with mental illnesses: Dr. Ted Jablonski, a physician from Calgary, Alberta; Marie Asuncion, an ESL teacher from Toronto, Ontario; Jennifer Ashawasegai, a journalist from Henvey Inlet First Nation, Ontario; David Albert Newman, an internal audit project leader from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Christine Dubois, an author from Asbestos, Québec.

“Our Faces demonstrate that anyone can overcome the challenges associated with mental health issues and can lead full, rewarding and productive lives”, continued Forsythe. “These individuals are truly inspiring, and help spread the campaign’s message to all Canadians that Recovery is Possible.”

CAMIMH also announced the recipients of the Eighth Annual Champions of Mental Health Awards. Each year during MIAW, CAMIMH hosts the Champions Awards event. The awards will be presented to five distinguished leaders in the Ballroom of the Château Laurier on October 4th.

“We plan to honour an incredible group of people from across the country who have positively impacted the mental health agenda in Canada,” said Dr. John Higenbottam, Chair of CAMIMH. “In their work and in their lives, they have each taken on some of the many challenges we face in the mental health arena. They have spoken openly about their own experiences, have advocated for much-needed research, and have supported programs encouraging diagnosis, treatment and care for the mentally ill in our communities.”

The Canadian Mental Health Association and the Sun Life Financial Chair in Adolescent Mental Health have teamed up to give teachers a helping hand with mental health. They will announce the release of their Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide during the Champions of Mental Health Awards. The guide, the first of its kind in Canada, is built based on best-evidence research and filled with information and facts relevant to Canadian teens.

This year’s Champions of Mental Health are:

Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay
CEO, National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO)
2010 Champion of Mental Health, First Nations, Inuit and Métis

Michael McCain
President and CEO, Maple Leaf Foods
2010 Champion of Mental Health, Private Sector

Dr. Brian G. Bexton
Association des médecins psychiatres du Québec
2010 Champion of Mental Health, Research

Howard Sapers
Correctional Investigator of Canada
2010 Champion of Mental Health, Public Sector

Laura Burke
Concordia University, Master’s in Drama Therapy student
2010 Champion of Mental Health, Youth

About Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is a bilingual, annual national public education campaign designed to raise awareness of the level of mental illness in Canada; to reduce negative stigma about mental illness amongst the general population and health care professionals; and to promote the positive effects of best practice in prevention, diagnosis and medical treatment. Through the campaign, hundreds of untold stories have been shared in an effort to change the way Canadians view mental illness. Each year during MIAW, CAMIMH hosts the Champions of Mental Health Awards. Champions, chosen in a variety of categories, are individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to advancing the mental health agenda in Canada. For more information visit www.miaw.ca

About MIAW Sponsors

Mental Illness Awareness Week and the Champions of Mental Health Awards cannot take place without the support of dedicated sponsors. They are: Canada Post (EVENT SPONSOR), Fleishman-Hillard Canada (PLATINUM); Bristol-Myers Squibb, AstraZeneca, Rogers TV (SILVER); Janssen-Ortho Inc., Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Rx&D, Apache Canada Ltd. (BRONZE).