Assignment 2: Intermediate Assignment
Essay on the Canadian Mental Health Association
Thomas Dowsley
SL 100
06/17/2015
Within social assistance programs in Canada, there is a general split between social security programs and social and welfare services. Social security programs, which are the responsibility of all levels of government, deliver direct economic support in one way or another to individuals or families. Included in this category are programs such as family allowances, old age pensions and provincial and municipal social-assistance programs. Whereas Social and Welfare service programs, have been established in an attempt to address personal, social and emotional needs. These services are now often referred to as the
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personal social services and have been developed and expanded substantially over the last century. (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/social-and-welfare-services/ ) In the past families were expected to care for one another with assistance from the church and small private charities.
However, as society modernized there became a larger need for social assistance and so the government decided to start funding its own programs, and supporting many other programs such as non-profit assistance programs. One problem however is that government spending in recent years has not risen at the same rate as it has for many other services (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/070622/dq070622b-eng.htm) and this needs to change in order for these programs to accomplish what they are supposed to do. These programs are now essential to society as they provide a variety of necessary goods, services and support, which many individuals within our society would otherwise not receive. I chose to explore The Canadian Mental Health Asscotiation and their positive impact on our …show more content…
society. The Canadian Mental Health Association is a non-profit organization. Founded in 1918 it is one of the oldest voluntary organizations in Canada. With over 10,000 volunteers, on an annual basis they are able to provide direct service to over 100,000 Canadians across 120 communities (http://www.cmha.ca/about-cmha/#.VX4YKlVViko). As a nation-wide, voluntary organization, the Canadian Mental Health Association promotes the mental health of Canadians and raises awareness and aims to fight the stigma associated with mental health. In addition it supports the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness. The Canadian Mental Health Association accomplishes this mission through advocacy, education, research and service. This organization led by its Board of Directors and CEO is accountable to all Canadians. Primarily to those affected by mental illness but also to the general population in the form of knowledge and awareness. This non-profit organization operates at many levels including the Macro, Mezzo and Micro level. The Macro level is a very important level for the Canadian Mental Health Association; this is where the organization addresses systematic issues and advocates for their cause through a variety of ways including addressing politicians and influencing public policy. In addition they raise awareness for mental health and look at defining who they are, what their purpose is and come up with a solution to help accomplish their outlined mission and vision. At the Mezzo layer this organization deals with small-medium sized groups including other organizations with similar visions and local places such as schools, and community centers. Community organizing is big at this stage as well as focusing on institutional and cultural change. One example at this level is group therapy sessions, where multiple people who are facing similar challenges meet together with a group leader where an open ended session is conducted. The Micro level is the most common kind within this organization and this is where it operates on a direct service level with the individuals it aims to help. Some of these services consist of, helping individuals with employment, assisting with housing and accommodations, early intervention for youth, peer support, recreation services for people with mental illness, stress reduction workshops and public education campaigns for the community. All levels are necessary for this organization to be successful, from public policy and advocacy to direct level services. The Canadian Mental Health Association is classified under the Disabled Persons and Social Welfare field of service. This organization is governed under various provincial statutes. In Ontario for example the agency follows Ontario’s Corporations Act (http://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90b16 ) and thus has an elected board of directors who oversee the agency. Eligible members within the agency elect the board annually. After the directors, the next down the chain of command is the division representative. Each province has a division representative, and they too are elected by eligible members. Another example is the Ontario Disability Support Act, which establishes an income support program for people with disabilities. (http://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/97o25b). There are several other statutes and legislation that governs the Canadian Mental Health Association and this is the same for all non-profit organizations in Canada however, the certain legislation pertaining to each agency differs based on its field of service. The Canadian Mental Health Association has a long history of partnerships and over the years has worked with their partners to foster education and awareness, as well as influence policy, and provide resource support in workplaces, schools, homes, and in other countries. Their partners include other mental health groups who hare similar visions and aim to tackle issues that impact mental health. The Canadian Mental Health Association also has partnered with mental health organizations in southern Africa to promote the development of mental health associations there. Staff within the organization have also been invited to Japan to make presentations about consumer involvement and CMHA’s Framework for Support (http://www.cmha.ca/about-cmha/partners/#.VX9MO1VViko) The Canadian Mental Health Association is a founding member of The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, this unified voice, helps come up with a Canadian action strategy regarding mental illness and mental health. There are several current challenges that the Canadian Mental Health Association is facing. One of them is human rights and accessibility. People with mental health may experience discrimination or accessibility barriers in life such as finding employment, housing, education and transportation. Current legislation such as the Ontario Human Rights Code aims to combat these challenges however; a task still exists in society to overcome these barriers and that is one of the current challenges this agency is looking to overcome. Another topic the Canadian Mental Health Association looks to address is mental health promotion. Educating the public on what exactly mental illness is and in doing so try to reduce the negative stigma surrounding it. Mental health has been defined as a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to one’s community. (http://ontario.cmha.ca/public_policy/mental-health-promotion/#.VX9_EVVViko) Since mental health is more than the absence of mental illness, a person can have a mental illness but still experience mental well-being. This acceptance is fundamental and can help be used to assist people with mental illnesses. The objective of mental health promotion for people with mental illness is to ensure that individuals are empowered to gain control over their lives and their mental health and that the environment in which they live supports their well being. On top of those challenges and the many others that this agency faces, there is the clear challenge that just about every organization faces and that is funding. The more funding the easier it is to try and accomplish the mission and goals set out by this organization. This is apparent for several reasons, for example with greater funding there could be bigger awareness campaigns that reach out to a larger number of the public. Another example is that there could be more support for those who need it whether that is direct service or through intermediary methods. As for funding, the Canadian Mental Health Association is funded through the government, individuals, and the corporate/business sector (Interview). These funds are essential to the organizations existence and without the finances they would not have the resources to help as many people as they do each year and further their objective. When analyzing the agency in terms of effectiveness and efficiency, it is clearly a very efficient organization especially considering the amount that they accomplish given their limited budget.
Their budget for the 2014 fiscal year was $1,194,945 (http://www.cmha.ca/about-cmha/annual-report/#.VYCs6lVViko) This organization sets goals each year and work towards accomplishing these goals. From a third party position it is clear that they are achieving these goals at a high degree of effectiveness. For example the Canadian Mental Health Association set out to increase the help for the most vulnerable and they played a large role in setting the policy for Bill C-14, which helps people with mental illness when they are charged with certain crimes. The Canadian Mental Health Association has set a high standard for a number of years within the non-profit organization sector in Canada and is an example of an organization that many others should strive to be similar to. Another important element to being a successful organization is having a long-term plan. The Canadian Mental Health Association has come up with a strategic plan in which they hope to complete by 2017 (http://www.cmha.ca/cmha-national-strategic-plan-2012-2017/#.VYCvgVVViko) This plan was set into action in 2012 and covers a variety of challenges and initiatives that they wish to overcome and achieve. Some examples of items that are on this agenda include, developing an enhanced website and improving social media
capabilities, transition into a fully bilingual cross country organization, develop a brand promise and strategy that enhances the image and identity of The Canadian Mental Health Association as a whole. Those are just a few of the many objectives that they have set out to accomplish and their success as an organization will partly be judged on how effectively they can achieve these set out objectives. Over the next decade or so, I see many positive outcomes for this organization. I believe with the current direction and vision that they have as an organization the future is bright in terms of being able to accomplish what they have set out to do. This organization is poised to expand given the growing trend in the awareness and issues of mental health. With the additional resources that they will receive, it will further their cause and have a positive impact on the fight against the negative impacts and social stigmas surrounding mental illness. One thing that I would like to see the Canadian Mental Health Association do in the near future is invest a larger proportion to mental health awareness. I believe that awareness in this case is the best way to further the cause. The main reason is that once society has a better understanding of what exactly mental illness is and the affects that it has, I then believe their will be more public support for funding and initiatives that in turn will lead directly to the benefit of those who need it. Without a larger public support it will be harder to expand as an organization, which is ultimately what is in the best interest of this agency in its quest to fulfill its objectives. In conclusion I believe that government spending must increase for many social welfare programs, organizations and agencies if they are to be successful in their objectives, which are ultimately to help those in need. These programs are without a doubt an essential part to a successful modern society and the Canadian Mental Health Association is a prime example of an organization that fulfills the needs of thousands of people who otherwise would not receive the treatment and services that are essential to survival in our society. (Interview) – I was able to get in contact with an executive assistant named Bridget, and she provided me with the answers to a few of my questions and gave me direction as to where to find certain information I was looking for including their budget, strategic plan and annual report. She explained how they are funded through individual donations, government grants and corporations/businesses. Bridget explained how important these funds and grants are as this is their only source of income and without this they would not be able to operate. Bridget went on to talk about some of their recent achievements including reaching their annual goal of helping over 100,000 Canadians. Finally I was given direction on where I could find their annual reports that are full of valuable information especially pertaining their finances. The chat was over the phone which wasn’t my ideal way of doing the information session however, they are a very busy organization and I am glad that I was able to at least get a few of my questions answered and gain a better understanding of the organization.
Continuing budget cuts on mental health care create negative and detrimental impacts on society due to increased improper care for mentally ill, public violence, and overcrowding in jails and emergency rooms. Origins, of mental health as people know it today, began in 1908. The movement initiated was known as “mental hygiene”, which was defined as referring to all things preserving mental health, including maintaining harmonious relation with others, and to participate in constructive changes in one’s social and physical environment (Bertolote 1). As a result of the current spending cuts approaching mental health care, proper treatment has declined drastically. The expanse of improper care to mentally ill peoples has elevated harmful threats of heightened public violence to society.
Close to six million Canadians live with mental illness; let alone the thousands that are undiagnosed. Mental illness has made big headlines in the news in the recent years. The people suffering from mental illness have been faced with discrimination a caused by a stigma towards them. Mental illness can be caused by many different factors whether they are psychological or environmental. Although only twenty percent of Canadians personally experience mental illness in their lifetime, it affects everyone in their lives. Many of the people suffering from mental illness live their lives in silence because of the stigma attached to the illness. They would rather nobody know about their condition than face the stigma and discrimination of the public. Society has come a long way from a hundred years ago when they would use trepanation. Trepanation is a primitive method used to heal head injuries; they truly believed that carving a hole in ones skull would release any mental injuries the patient had. A decade ago people suffering from mental illness were treated as if they were less than others. Now a days, people suffering from mental illness are not treated as poorly as before, they have larger support group than before, and society is more understanding of mental illness now. However, there is still much room for improvement.
Every week a special fee charged for social insurance in every individual’s paycheck. Later when you decide to retire, or get sick, you can receive Social Security benefits. The Social Security is a contribution, which is institutional (Tussing, 1974). There is also the Public Assistance program, which belongs to the Federal Agency. It was designed for Emergency Management (AP). Public Assistance provides secondary, federal assistance to state governments, and state government agencies those are non-profit organizations that must verify specific criteria and are "institutional and residual" (Tussing, 1974). Tussing analyzed the breakdown in the social welfare system in America in the article 'The Dual Welfare System' (1974). Tussing argues that in America there is "social insurance" also known as Social Security which is "public charity" that a retiree receives in this country. Tussing also argues that the only difference between Social Security and Public Assistance, is the vocabulary used to provide Public Assistance and Social Security e.g., some of the words that express a certain Ideal. For example "charity" and "help" are used to describe public assistance, while the language used for forms of insurance is more favorable: "safe" or
Mental Health Funding Mental health is a subject a lot of people prefer not to talk about, which is a main reason that it is so underfunded. The severe underfunding affects not only the people suffering from mental illness, but also the government, the economy, and society as a whole. It is in the government's best interest to put more funding into mental health due to the health consequences on patients, including weight issues, drastic effects on bodily functions, and difficulties in pregnancy. As well as this
In this research paper, a variety of articles are examined about immigrants’ access to mental health services in Canada. It addresses the significant barriers to utilization of resources, and it also makes suggestions about changes that could improve mental health services for immigrants. Although immigrants receive economic and political support in Canada, often social support does not follow the same pattern. New immigrants are oftentimes faced with factors that affect their utilization of government services that can help them transition to their new life.
Those with mental illness would live in the community with an array of services and be able to be free from the constraints of confinement. In the early 1960’s the United States began an initiative to reduce and close publicly-operated mental hospitals. This became known as deinstitutionalization. The goal of deinstitutionalization was to allow people suffering from mental illness to live more independently in the community with treatments provided through community health programs. Unfortunately, the federal government did not provide sufficient ongoing funding for the programs to meet the growing demand. States reduced their budgets for mental hospitals but failed to increase funding for on-going community-based mental health programs. As a result of deinstitutionalization hundreds of thousands of mentally ill people were released into the community without the proper resources they needed for their treatment. (Harcourt,
The development of mental health policy has gone through many changes in the course of the twentieth century. Today, mental health policy is totally different from the policy hundreds of years ago. Because of this, it is important to emphasize the fact that mental health policy has shifted from the indifference and isolation of people with mental illness, to the delivery of social services and community integration. In other words, mental health policy has experienced a serious change that has changed the attitude of policy makers, health care professionals, ordinary people, and also to people with a mental illness. Today, people with mental health problems are no longer outsiders as they used to be. Instead they are seen as people who have different needs and social geared towards their integration into the community. The federal government now has a policy that addresses the problems faced by people with mental illness, gives the community a chance to understand these people, and sets a standard in providing mental health services. There are over seventy actions in The Federal Mental Health Action Agenda. “It offers an unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally alter the form and function of the mental health service delivery system in this country to one that puts individuals-adults with mental illnesses, children with emotional disturbances, and family members-at its very core” (The Federal Action Agenda: First Steps. Web. 24 Mar. 2014).
Simpson, C. (2007) ‘Mental Health part3: Assessment and Treatment of Depression’ British Journal of Healthcare assistants. pp 167-171.
Most social programs are handled by the provinces and territories rather than the federal government but are funded with money granted to them on the federal level. A cornerstone of Canada's social welfare state is universal health care. It offers coverage for medically essential health care, which means that services are provided based on the urgency of the issue, rather than the ability of paying. Employment Insurance is another prime example of a Canadian social program, it offers benefits to employees who have had to miss work or have lost their jobs due to circumstances that were out of their control. Canada also offers a free public education in all provinces and territories up to grade 12 (ending a year earlier in Quebec).
The Mental Health Ministry (MHM) represents a new initiative within Christ Church, that seeks to embody our mission to be a fully inclusive space, specifically through its work to enable those with mental health issues to feel safe and accepted within our Community. Functioning as a peer support group for those that struggle with mental illness, MHM aspires to provide two fundamental aspects that promote healing in mental illness, faith and friendship. It also proposes to develop educational workshops and resources that will help to build skills and sensitivity around mental health. Considering that mental health represents an affliction shared by one in five Canadians, with an estimated medical cost of nearly 50 billion/year, it it fitting
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), it defines mental illness as Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in thinking, emotion or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. (What Is Mental Illness? (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2016, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/what-is-mental-illness). Mental Disorders are a wide range of mental conditions that affect mood, thinking, and behavior. There are a lot of different psychological disorders here is a list of the major psychological disorders and their definitions:
Mental health counseling involves counseling people who are struggling to cope with events in their lives. These events may be traumatic, family issues, substance abuse, and other difficult experiences. There are different kinds of mental health counseling. Mental health professionals can work in different places like schools, hospitals, and client’s homes. Counselors offer help to different ages of patients from children to elderly.
In addition to my research experience, I have also gathered clinical/hands-on experience working with adults and children in my community. Being a recent graduate of the Developmental Services Worker (DSW) Accelerated Diploma program at Humber College, I was able to complete two field placements within the Toronto District School Board (200+ hours) and at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (500+ hours). As a DSW student, I learned how to effectively promote the physical, mental, and emotional health of individuals with special needs and dual diagnosis – the co-existence of a developmental disability and a mental health concern. During my internship within the school board, I supported two elementary school students both diagnosed with Autism. During this time I was able to provide 1:1 support, both formally and informally, to encourage the attainment of educational goals and useful life skills. Formally, I was able to develop and
Both mental illness and substance abuse remain stigmatized with major gender, racial-ethnic and economic inequalities in access, use and quality of services and support. Therefore, my goal is to collaborate with educational institutions, health organizations and government agencies to create, study, and disseminate interventions that reduce the risk, increase resilience, provide effective treatment, and aid in-long term recovery. In particular, I am interested in creating policies that will help bridge the economic inequalities face by those who experience mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders. With these plans in mind, I am currently studying French and will continue working with underserved communities to gain valuable field experience in public
Social welfare signifies the attempts made by governments and voluntary organizations to help families and individuals by maintaining incomes at an acceptable, by providing medical care and public health services, by furthering adequate housing and community development, by providing services to facilitate social adjustment and by furnishing facilities for recreation. All the nations have developed social welfare services as they have moved from agrarian to industrial economies. In India the term social welfare has come to be used in a restricted sense, provision of social services for the socially unprivileged groups – schedule castes, schedule tribes, Denotified communities, orphans, disabled and economically unprivileged social welfare program are therefore directed to ameliorate their conditions (Sachdeva 1992)