Reports - Executive Director's Report

I feel this has been a very exciting and productive year for our Association and the mental health system in general. While there is no question, as a recent report has shown, that mental health is a very neglected part of the health system, there are some significant lights at the end of the tunnel emerging.
These are:

1. The Mental Health Commission of Canada

It is hoped that this will be a critical piece in the plan to actually raise the profile and todevelop a strategy and plan to improve the mental health system in the country and the province.

Our Association, in partnership with the Schizophrenia Society of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Psychiatric Association, sent a petition to the Prime Minister with over a thousand names asking for the formation of the Mental Health Commission. We thank all those who participated as we all played a small part in seeing this Commission be announced.

Thanks to the work of our Association and community and Regional Health Authority partners, we will see the long-awaited EPI (Early Psychosis Initiative) up and running this September. This will provide much-needed early intervention for children and youth.

Income Security for those with disabilities needs to be revamped with a separate system outside of a heavily stigmatized welfare system which forces consumers with all types of disabilities, including psychiatric, to be caught up in a never-ending web of justifying their disability for woefully small amounts of income support.

We are working with our community partners to join in a coalition called the Disability Income Support Coalition (DISC) to advocate for these much-needed changes and improvements for our consumers.

4. Knowledge Translation Advisory Committee (SK Health Research Foundation)

Participation in Knowledge Transfer, or how you integrate all the theoretical knowledge available into practice by our Association, has resulted in a better understanding and appreciation of the “grassroots” research our, and other similar groups, do to enhance the knowledge base in mental health.

Sponsorship of the Mental Health Sector Study II, funded by Saskatchewan Learning and Saskatchewan Health, will result in a better understanding of the needs and areas of improvement required by the community-based organization (CBO) sector in mental health.

Our regular Branch, Problem Gambling and Friends for Life programs have all been very active and provide much-needed direct programs and community development and education regarding mental health issues in our province.

Dave Nelson, RPN, RSW
Executive Director