Mental health issues are always tough subjects of discussion but the Canadian Mental Health Association believes National Mental Health Week is an ideal time to talk about them.
“We all have mental health,” Peter Coleridge, the CMHA’s CEO, said in a statement about the National Mental Health Week. “Mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. It’s a state of overall mental and physical health and well-being. But maintaining good mental health in today’s hectic and stress-filled society is a challenge.
“CMHA actively supports and encourages mental health for all Canadians, in all aspects of their daily lives, not only during its Mental Health Week but also through the programs and tools provided by hundreds of CMHA locations across the country throughout the year.”
It is estimated that at least 1 in 3 Canadians experience mental health problems each year. And mental health issues indirectly affect us all at some time through a family member, friend or colleague. The fact is, we are all touched in some way by mental health issues, the statement said.
Mental Health Week events are held in communities across the country each year and this year’s events are very relevant.
This year, CMHA hooked up with the Columbia Basin Trust, the City of Revelstoke, Ministry of Children and Family Development, Interior Health Authority, School District #19, Community Connections, Revelstoke Awareness and Outreach Program, Chamber of Commerce, Options for Sexual Health and several other community organizations and individuals. The free local events this year are:
- Monday, May 6 – Nutrition for Mental Health at 7:30 pm in the Macpherson Room at the Revelstoke Community Centre.
- Tuesday, May 7 – Mental Health Matters in the Workplace from noon until 1 pm in the Macpherson Room at the Community Centre.
- Wednesday, May 8 – Wellness day at Revelstoke Secondary School
- Thursday May 9 – Interior Health, Mental Health and Substance Use team Open House at 7pm at the Community Centre.
- Mental Health Matters – Poster Contest for Elementary School Students.
Founded in 1918, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is one of Canada’s oldest not-for-profit organizations. With more than 10,000 staff and volunteers in hundreds of communities across Canada, CMHA provides vital services and support to well over half a million Canadians every year. As the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health, CMHA facilitates access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience and support recovery from mental illness.
For more information please visit cmha.ca.
