WHEREAS mental disorders affect 20 percent of Canada’s population, create the largest single contribution to the burden of disease in our country, lead to significant morbidity and early mortality (through suicide and their impact on the development of multiple other medical illnesses) and substantively contribute to negative social, civic and economic outcomes for Canadians;
WHEREAS most mental health issues are treatable and many mental health service consumers are fully capable of successfully functioning in society when treated;
WHEREAS mental disorders have not been adequately or appropriately addressed historically, with the current Tory government focusing on building jails rather than addressing mental illness as one of the root causes of crime;
WHEREAS the upcoming renegotiation of the Health Accord provides an opportunity for the federal government to ensure that individuals and families living with mental illness receive the care and support that they need to become active and productive citizens;
WHEREAS only 5.5% of the healthcare budget in Canada is spent on mental health services, despite the recommendations of the World Health Organization to allocate 10%;
BE IT RESOLVED the Liberal Party of Canada publicly announces its support for putting mental health care as a national health priority by placing into its election and policy platforms the following:
1 – When elected: ensuring that mental health care is a priority focus of discussion in the upcoming Health Accord
2 – When elected: creating an office of a national mental health ombudsman who will provide to parliament an annual report on the status of mental health and mental health care in Canada
3 – When elected: will ensure that federal funding for mental health care is identified within social/health transfers to the provinces and that funding shall only be used for the purposes of improving mental health care
4 – Following the World Health Organization’s recommendation, that an increase of funding for mental health services is allocated to 8-10% of the national healthcare budget and that the services covered shall include, but not be limited to, professional counseling and access to prescribed medication;
5 – When elected: will create a national mental health human resources development capacity that will work with Provinces, Territories, Professional Organizations; Educational Institutions and others to create and deliver innovative mental health human resources to meet mental health care needs of Canadians
6 – When elected: will assign priority to mental health and mental health care in Aboriginal, First Nations and Inuit health initiatives
Liberal Party of Nova Scotia
Young Liberals of Canada
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Passed!!!
Let this pass!
Great policy please support it, this will save lives
It appears the voting is still open and again I urge members to cote for this. mental health care services are often completely unavailable or the wait lines are so long that safe care is in jeopardy.
Without a national strategy we will continue to allow care to be unavailable in many jurisdictions in this country. Once again, we would not allow this sort of spotty care for heart disease, stroke or cancer. Why would we do so for mental health care that kill more of our young ones than all of those diseases?
This resolution is consistent with the position Liberals were right to take last election against Mr. Harper’s wasteful and short-sided spending on mega-prisons. To me, it’s about coherence in our policies and positions, and frankly, we would be undermining our position on the new mega-prisons if we didn’t offer the highly credible and sensible alternative we should have, as expressed in this resolution. Please support it.
Despite being the third party, in October the Liberal Party got a suicide prevention motion overwhelming passed in the House of Commons. Despite the House being stacked against our Party, this motion passed because it crosses party lines and it’s addresses a problem that loudly resonates emotionally with a broad cross-section of Canadians.
This mental health resolution should be how we build on that and help to carry the suicide prevention strategy forward. It’s important.
The Liberal Party has always been a party of vision, a party that boldly supports new roads less traveled. The comments below show how making mental health a focus will reduce problems and costs in so many areas.
I understand that there are many resolutions to vote for and it is a tough choice. However, many people have discussed pharmacare including the NDP.
We Liberals need to make a bold choice to support and highlight an issue that no one else is. First and foremost because it is the right thing to do. Second, because it will bring national attention to an issue that no other party is taking on. Third, because it will define us as the party that is willing to go with bold, new and ethical. I ask all of you to please vote for this in these last few hours we have to vote.
Mental health problems are factors (sometimes a small factor, but sometimes a very major factor) in so many problems Canada faces —— suicides, domestic violence, other violent crime, family breakups, addictions, homelessness, and lost workplace productivity, to name but a few. If we can improve mental health in this country, we can simultaneously help to alleviate a number of other problems as a natural byproduct of that.
This is an immensely important resolution. Improving mental health care should be a core liberal and Liberal value. If you haven’t voted for this resolution, please do so. It’s vital.
This is an important initiative, not just because of the tremendous help it will give people with mental illness and their families and because it will save lives, but also because it will go a long way towards reducing other social problems — crime, violence, homelessness, etc. Please support this proposal!
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We are fast approaching the end of the voting and I would like to encourage Liberals to support this.
THis is a groundbreaking resolution since we have not taken a serious look at setting national standards for mental health care.
If your child breaks their arm-you can get them treated. However, if your child is suicidal it is often hard to find the services to keep them alive.
This is Canada. This is inexcusable.
Anyone can fall victim to mental health problems to some degree or another and there seem to be little attention supporting this cause. I am just very disappointed that legalizing marijuana is on the currently leading category list way a head of mental health; as I don’t think legalizing marijuana is as an important a cause as mental health. This is not reflecting very well on us as supporter of a party who wants to let Canadians know we care about current pressing issues affecting our Canadian society. The NDP is fight for better living conditions for the aboriginals. What legitimate cause are we fighting, legalizing marijuana! Shameful!
Anyone can fall victim to mental health problems to some degree or another and there seem to be little attention supporting this cause. I am just very disappointed that legalizing marijuana is on the currently leading category list way a head of mental health; as I don’t think legalizing marijuana is as an important a cause as mental health. This is not reflecting very well on us as supporters of a party who wants to let Canadians know we care about current pressing issues affecting our Canadian society. The NDP is fight for better living conditions for the aboriginals. What legitimate cause are we fighting, legalizing marijuana! Shameful! Very shameful!
This is a crucial issue in our country. Please vote to get this resolution to a vote.
Some statistics that we might want to keep in mind:
In Canada, suicide accounts for 24 percent of all deaths among 15-24 year olds and 16 percent among 16-44 year olds. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 24.8 Seventy-three percent of hospital admissions for attempted suicide are for people between the ages of 15 and 44.
Sensible and long over-due. Be explicit about child and youth mental health support.
Health care is much broader than being able to see a Doctor or get treatment in the Hospital, it is about keeping people healthy and active. In order to do the full job it may, in meny instances be more efficient to have and element of private healthcare involved. It is who pays and how it is paid that is the key element here. I don’t think it is desirable to have people needing treatment and in a private clinic and it costing thousands of dollars. I feel people have a responsibility to themselves and to society to share the cost of keeping themselves healthy, just as I feel it is societies responsibility to keep its members healthy.
So who pays? I think people should pay into a government directed health care plan rather than buying suplemental health care for drug, glasses, dental, travel etc.