Ontario's mental health and addiction leaders respond to government's new investment
TORONTO, Oct. 7, 2020 /CNW/ - Ontario's leading mental health organizations including Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Children's Mental Health Ontario, The Royal, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care are pleased to see new investments in mental health and addiction treatment and supports for Ontarians. However, these investments still fall short of the government's commitment to invest $3.8 billion over ten years in addiction and mental health services.
While we welcome any investments that will improve access to quality care, these investments should be made as part of a plan with specific and public goals, as promised in the Roadmap to Wellness. What we have seen is an uncoordinated approach to funding services that has further fragmented a mental health and addiction system, making it harder for Ontarians to find and be connected to the right care, at the right time and place. People desperately need easier, faster access to services.
Even before the onset of COVID-19, more than one million people in Ontario experienced mental health and addiction challenges every year. Ontarians were already facing wait times of up to 2.5 years to access mental health and addiction services, often turning to emergency rooms in crisis.
Mental health affects every single Ontarian one way or another, especially as COVID-19 concerns rise. Ontario's mental health and addiction leaders are critically concerned about the impact that COVID-19 has already had on Ontarians, in particular the trauma endured by front line professionals and caregivers. Research shows that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racialized and lower-income people. Overdose rates and opioid related deaths have increased during the months of the pandemic by up to 35-40% on a weekly basis, according to Ontario's Chief Coroner. The most vulnerable, children and seniors, are at high risk, with some child and youth mental health centres already seeing a 20 to 100 per cent increase in the rate of demand since last year.
The mental health of Ontarians is not just a social issue. It is also an economic issue. The pandemic of mental illness and addiction is affecting Ontarians' ability to work, earn an income, pay taxes, maintain stable housing and care for their families. We are greatly concerned about the impact on generations to come if we do not embed sustained mental health and addiction care as part of recovery efforts.
The Ontario government has promised to create a comprehensive and connected system for mental health and addiction and to invest $3.8 billion over ten years.
We need a focus on reducing wait times and improving the quality of services. That demands an investment of $380 million per year within the health system, not outside of it. The time is now.
SOURCE Addictions and Mental Health Ontario
World Spine Day is October 16th. NYC Area Spinal and Orthopedic Surgeon Available to Comment on the Worst Mistakes Americans Make That Cause Back Injuries and Pain
An estimated one billion people around the world suffer from spinal pain and is the biggest single cause of disability. With more people working from home in a non-ergonomically correct environment due to COVID, even more people are experiencing back pain. World Spine Day on October 16th highlights the burden of spinal pain and aims to promote healthy activities, exercises, or tools to combat it. (Worldspineday.org)
Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, is a spinal and orthopedic surgeon who leads The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care. He shares some of the worst mistakes people make that leads to increased back/spine pain:
Not Maintaining Flexibility
Remaining flexible can help prevent injuries to the back, especially those related to some degree of muscle strain.
Don’t continue eating carbohydrates and sugar
At the root of most low back pain is inflammation. Foods that cause your blood sugar to spike will only make the pain worse because sugar promotes inflammation.
Don’t continue smoking
Smoking tobacco products is the worst mistake to make because it greatly impairs your body’s ability to heal and stay strong.
Don’t continue standing when putting on pants
Putting on pants while standing requires bending and possibly twisting, not to mention hopping on one leg. All of these motions can increase your low back pain.
Excess Weight
Extra pounds can strain the bones and muscles in your back, especially if you gain weight quickly. Do your best to maintain a healthy weight.
Don’t continue sleeping on the same old mattress
Old mattresses have lost some of their firmness, tend not to support your curves well, and lack some of the newer technology. Your old mattress might be causing or adding to your low back pain.
You Allow Your Core to Weaken
If your core is weak, your body compensates so other muscles will help hold you up. Not surprisingly, this overarched position can lead to pain in your lower back over time—which is why lower back pain is another sign of a weak core.If your core is weak, your body compensates so other muscles will help hold you up.
Don’t continue wearing bad shoes
Your shoes provide support for your entire body, including your spine. High-heel shoes or flip-flops do not give your back support and may be contributing to your pain.
Failing to lift with your knees
One of the most common causes of back pain is failing to distribute weight evenly, which is what happens when you do lifting with your back only. Whether it’s lifting weight while working out or picking up a heavy box, bending and distributing some of the weight to your legs reduces pressure on your back muscles while also helping to prevent serious injuries.
You think you should rest it and “baby” your back.
Gone are the days of prolonged bed rest for back pain. Research has indicated that bed rest is one of the worst things you can do when suffering from back pain.
Your desk job is killing your back
Sitting tied to your desk for hours at a time can lead to lower back pain, the most common work-related back problem. Slumping back in your desk chair or slouching forward means your spine is out of alignment. Use a lumbar pillow for cushioning to help prevent yourself from collapsing forward or backward into poor posture.
Limit the pain meds.
Pain meds do not heal injuries. Pain meds do not strengthen weak muscles. They mask the pain despite the injury.
Using Heat Packs Prematurely
During the acute stages of an injury, the area will swell. Ice is recommended through this stage to reduce this swelling. Using heat in the acute stages of injury may increase swelling, causing more pain that can lead to an increase in muscle spasms.
About the Doctor
Gbolahan Okubadejo, MD, FAAOS, leads The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care, with offices in the greater New York City area, as a spinal and orthopedic surgeon. Board certified and fellowship trained, Dr. Okubadejo specializes in the treatment of degenerative spinal disease, spinal deformity, and cervical, lumbar, and thoracic conditions.
Dr. Okubadejo earned his undergraduate degree at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. He completed his internship and orthopedic surgery residency at Barnes-Jewish Hospital at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dr. Okubadejo completed a spinal surgery fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh.
Dr. Okubadejo is a published research author and has presented his findings at several major spinal conferences around the globe. While a surgical resident, he won the Leonard Marmor Surgical Arthritis Foundation Resident Award for the best research project.
Dr. Okubadejo believes in the power of preventive care, minimally invasive surgical procedures, open communication with patients, and personalized care. When he’s not caring for patients, he enjoys traveling, learning about different cultures and the arts, and playing golf.
4 Birthday Gift Ideas for the Runner in Your Life
Avid runners are constantly in need of new gear to enjoy their physical hobby because they literally run through it. Running is a sport that requires quality, well made, and fitted items and gear to both help the runner train and recover.
If you have a runner in your life, some new gear as a birthday present is a great and useful idea. Consider these four birthday gift ideas for the runner in your life this year.
Running Shoes
Good running shoes are expensive, and they are the most important piece of gear a runner needs. Because a regular runner is capable of running through a pair of shoes in just a couple months, they are constantly in need of new ones. Running shoes are made specifically for the sport, and every runner will need a specific type of shoe that is molded to the shape of their feet. For this reason, make sure you get detailed information on the type of shoe your runner needs before buying.
GPS Watch
A good GPS watch is a great training tool for a runner. Whether training for a marathon or for personal enjoyment and fitness, runners like to track their progress and runs. A GPS device allows runners to easily keep track of their pace so that they can better plan their runs, taking into account the specific topography and layout of the area they are training in.
Running Clothes
Running clothing is specifically made to ease the comfort of a runner while supporting a run. Everything from visibility to moisture wicking to invisible seams are included in running clothes. Gifts of clothing can include moisture wicking socks, women’s running tops that prevent chafing, or a men’s grey zippered fitness hoodie.
Foam Workout Roller
Part of a runner’s routine is recovery, treating sore and tired muscles. A foam workout roller is one of the best pieces of equipment a runner can have. Not only can this simple piece of workout equipment be used to stretch muscles out before a run, but post run you can self massage tired muscles using the roller.
No matter what you decide on as a birthday gift for the runner in your life, any new gear to support their hobby and training is sure to be appreciated. Anything that aids a runner is useful and can be personalized.
Health Canada Approves ZEPOSIA®, an Oral Treatment for Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis
Bristol Myers Squibb's medication provides a new oral treatment option for Canadians living with the neurological disease
MONTREAL, Oct. 7, 2020 /CNW/ - Bristol Myers Squibb announced today that Health Canada approved ZEPOSIA® (ozanimod) for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to decrease the frequency of clinical exacerbations.i
"Ongoing treatment with disease-modifying therapy in people living with multiple sclerosis can reduce the number of relapses and new brain lesions that form, but each person responds differently to different treatments. This is why having another treatment with meaningful efficacy to help decrease relapses and brain lesions is important," said Dr. Jiwon Oh, Neurologist and MS specialist. "Today's announcement is exciting because it addresses an unmet need for people when first diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS. Having an oral treatment with evidence of higher efficacy than some other first-line treatments, and a good safety profile that is well-tolerated to manage clinical exacerbations and whole brain volume loss will be a benefit to people living with MS."
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers the nerves; ii this causes inflammation and often damages the myelin in patches called lesions. iii When this happens, the normal flow of nerve impulse is delayed or blocked, leading to symptoms.iii
RRMS is characterized by unpredictable clinical exacerbations manifested by relapses (also known as attacks, exacerbations or flare-ups) and accumulation of lesions in the CNS during which new symptoms appear or existing ones get worse.ii
"Multiple sclerosis is an unpredictable neurological disease that impacts more than 77,000 Canadians," said Dr. Pamela Valentine, president and CEO, MS Society of Canada. "With Canada having one of the highest prevalence rates in the world and no one size fits all approach to treatment, we want to continue seeing innovation and are pleased that there will be another effective oral treatment option."
ZEPOSIA® is an oral medication taken daily that helps protect against attacks on the nerves by stopping some of the body's white cells ('lymphocytes') reaching the brain and spine where they could cause inflammation and damage to myelin, the nerves protective coating.i It is the only oral selective sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator approved in Canada as a first-line therapyi,iv for the treatment of RRMS. The approval is based on data from the two largest pivotal, head-to-head RRMS studies with an active comparator to date.v
"This approval reinforces our commitment to transforming patients' lives and delivering innovative treatment options," said Al Reba, General Manager, Bristol Myers Squibb Canada. "Bringing to market a new oral treatment option for multiple sclerosis, a disease that impacts so many Canadians, gives us the opportunity to help improve the future for younger higher- functioning MS patients who need to maintain high physical and cognitive ability."
The Health Canada approval is based on data from the randomized, active-controlled Phase 3 SUNBEAM and RADIANCE Part B clinical trials, which enrolled more than 2,600 patients across 150 sites in more than 20 countries.i,iv Key findings from the trials include:
ZEPOSIA® (0.92 mg) demonstrated a relative reduction in ARR versus AVONEX® of 48 per cent through one year in the SUNBEAM study and 38 per cent at two years in the RADIANCE study (absolute ARR of 0.18 versus 0.35 and 0.17 versus 0.28, respectively).i,v,iv
At one year in the SUNBEAM study, treatment with ZEPOSIA® reduced the number of T1– weighted gadolinium-enhanced (GdE) brain lesions more than AVONEX® (0.16 vs 0.43), a relative reduction of 63 per cent, and reduced the number of new or enlarging T2 brain lesions (1.47 versus 2.84), a relative reduction of 48 per cent.i,iv
At two years in the RADIANCE study, treatment with ZEPOSIA® reduced the number of T1– weighted GdE brain lesions more than AVONEX® (0.18 versus 0.37), a relative reduction of 53 per cent. ZEPOSIA® also reduced the number of new or enlarging T2 lesions versus AVONEX® (1.84 versus 3.18), a relative reduction of 42 per cent.i,iv
About Multiple Sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the protective covering of the nerves, called myelin, causing inflammation and damage. Myelin is necessary for the transmission of nerve impulses.ii
Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is characterized by unpredictable but clearly defined relapses (also known as attacks, exacerbations or flare-ups) during which new symptoms appear or existing ones get worse. Approximately 85 per cent of people with MS are initially diagnosed with RRMS.ii
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world, with an estimated 77,000 people living with the disease. While it is most often diagnosed in young adults aged 20 to 49, younger children and older adults are also diagnosed.ii
About SUNBEAM™ SUNBEAM is a pivotal, phase 3, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of oral ZEPOSIA® (0.92 mg and 0.46 mg, equivalent to 1 mg and 0.5 mg ozanimod HCI, respectively) against weekly intramuscular AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) for at least a 12-month treatment period. iv The study included 1,346 people living with RMS across 158 sites in 20 countries.iv
The primary endpoint of the trial was annualized relapse rates (ARR) during the treatment period.iv The secondary MRI endpoints included the number of new or enlarging hyperintense T2-weighted brain MRI lesions over 12 months and number of gadolinium-enhanced brain MRI lesions at month 12.iv
About RADIANCE™ RADIANCE Part B is a pivotal, Phase 3, multicentre, randomized, double-blind, double- dummy, active-controlled trial evaluating the efficacy, safety and tolerability of two doses of oral ZEPOSIA® (0.92 mg and 0.46 mg, equivalent to 1 mg and 0.5 mg ozanimod HCI, respectively) against weekly intramuscular AVONEX® (interferon beta-1a) over a 24-month treatment period. The study included 1313 people living with RMS across 150 sites in 21 countries.v
The primary endpoint of the trial was ARR over 24 months.v The secondary MRI endpoints included the number of new or enlarging hyperintense T2-weighted brain MRI lesions over 24 months and the number of MRI T1 gadolinium-enhancing lesions at 24 months.v
About ZEPOSIA® (ozanimod) ZEPOSIA® (ozanimod) is for the treatment of patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) to decrease the frequency of clinical exacerbations.i It is the only first line sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator approved in Canada for the treatment of RRMS. ZEPOSIA® binds with high affinity to S1P receptors 1 and 5 to reduce the number of attacks.i It is taken orally as a capsule, once daily, with or without food.i
About Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Bristol Myers Squibb Canada is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb Company, a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. Bristol Myers Squibb Canada Co. employs more than 300 people across the country. For more information, please visit https://www.bms.com/ca/en.
About Bristol Myers Squibb Bristol Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol Myers Squibb, visit us at BMS.comor follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Facebookand Instagram.
Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. In certain countries outside the US, due to local laws, Celgene and Juno Therapeutics are referred to as, Celgene, a Bristol Myers Squibb company and Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company.
i ZEPOSIA® Product Monograph. Bristol Myers Squibb. October 2, 2020.
iv Comi, G, Kappos, L, Selmaj, KW, et at. Safety and efficacy of ozanimod versus interferon beta-1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis (SUNBEAM): a multicenter, randomized, minimum 12-month, phase 3 trial. The Lancet: Neurology. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30239-X.
v Cohen, JA, Comi, G, Selmaj, KW, et al. Safety and efficacy of ozanimod versus interferon beta-1a in relapsing multiple sclerosis (RADIANCE): a multicenter, randomized, 24-month, phase 3 trial. The Lancet: Neurology. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30238-8.
A Declaration of Family Caregiver Rights and Responsibilities Affirms the Role of Family Caregivers as an Essential Component of Care
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 7, 2020 /CNW/ - In response to inconsistent and in some cases extreme restrictions on end-of-life visitations across Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic, Caregivers4Change in collaboration with Plan Well Guide and numerous provincial and national organizations, to release a Declaration of Family Caregiver Rights and Responsibilities affirming that family caregivers are more than just visitors. The Declaration calls upon all Canadians to adopt and promote caregivers' rights and responsibilities designed to realize, maintain, and strengthen the role of family caregivers as an essential component of a caring and compassionate society.
1 in 4 Canadians are caregivers who provide care and support to those living with disease, disability or frailty due to aging. 75% of care is provided by family members who are often the care recipient's closest, holistic, and involved care partner; family caregivers deserve to be regarded as critical members of the health care team. Daren Heyland, critical care physician and creator of the Plan Well Guide and lead author of the Declaration, says "In no way do we suggest or imagine that the rights of the family caregiver supersede those of a patient. Family caregiver rights are consistent with the needs and desires of the people they care for and should complement, not conflict with patient rights".
There have been too many stories of family caregivers who were unable to perform their caregiver's duties due to extreme restrictions on end-of-life visitations. The Declaration affirms certain caregivers' rights and responsibilities and maintains that these rights are reflected in constitutional and human rights and international standards. "We aim to influence policy and practice so that family caregivers are never excluded from their essential role as part of the health care team except at the behest of a competent care-recipient" says Hsien Seow, Associate Professor from McMaster University and lead of the Caregivers4Change network.
Caregivers4Changeis urging decision makers and elected officials to deliver on the following key asks:
Adopt the Declaration in the programs and organizations, they lead or fund;
Find ways to give voice to family caregivers to ensure they have representation at the decision-making councils;
Implement a strategy that allows for grievances to be rapidly assessed and addressed.
Sharon Baxter, Executive Director Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, says "We acknowledge that previous work has attempted to formulate a "rights-based' approach for family caregivers. However, these efforts were pre-COVID-19 and this pandemic has exposed new challenges resulting in unconscionable harm to patients by restricting and often excluding family caregivers from the bedside where they could fully participate in care. These are not new problems, but they have been intensified and made more obvious during this pandemic. The Declaration is meant to have application to both now and, we hope, in a less exceptional future".
Health care providers and organizations are encouraged to become leaders for change in their organization by signing on this declaration and supporting the implementation of a family caregiver policy, separate from a visitor policy, that respects the rights and responsibilities outlined in the Declaration.
Caregivers4Change invites Canadians to sign this petition supporting the Declaration and use the hashtag #NotJustAVisitor on social media to advocate for the adoption of the rights in the Declaration. For more information, please visit www.caregivers4change.com
Read the full Declaration of Family Caregiver Rights and Responsibilities here
Caregiver4Change is a growing network of people passionate about improving the lives of caregivers. This includes caregivers, researchers, clinicians, and organizational partners across Canada. The movement aims to inspire individuals and communities to support family caregivers.
Plan Well Guide is an online tool, created by Dr. Daren Heyland. The goal behind the Plan Well Guide is to help prepare people to make decisions with doctors when seriously ill by helping them learn about medical treatments and by helping communicate important values and preferences.
SOURCE Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
October 13th Marks the First National Hospice Palliative Care Day for Children in Canada
OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) and the Canadian Network for Palliative Care for Children (CNPCC) are proud to mark October 13th as the first National Hospice Palliative Care Day for Children in Canada. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of pediatric hospice palliative care and improve the quality of living and dying for infants, children and youth with life-threatening conditions and their families.
Pediatric hospice palliative care is an active, holistic approach to care which focuses on relieving the physical, social, psychological and spiritual suffering experienced by children and families who face a progressive, life-threatening condition, and helping them fulfill their physical, psychological, social and spiritual goals.
This year, the CHPCA affirms that hospice palliative care is provided to people of all ages by debunking some of the popular myths about pediatric hospice palliative care. The CHPCA has created a downloadable poster and FAQ sheet to answer some of the questions about pediatric hospice palliative care. Social media users are invited to engage with CHPCA's Facebook (CanadianHospicePalliativeCare) and Twitter (@CanadianHPCAssn) and to use the hashtag #HPCForChildren to draw the attention to the importance of quality hospice palliative care for all ages, including children and their families.
"Many of us associate hospice palliative care with seniors and adults, but children with life-threatening illnesses need that comfort as well", says Sharon Baxter, Executive Director, Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA), "While the number of children requiring palliative care is small relative to adults, the impact of a child's serious illness and death is extensive. It affects the family as well as the entire community".
Chris Vadeboncoeur, a pediatric hospice palliative care physician and co-chair, CNPCC, says "Pediatric hospice palliative care aims to provide comprehensive care for children and their families through the living, dying and grieving processes. The illnesses that affect children are quite distinct. Hospice palliative care for children comprehensively addresses the body, mind and spirit, and requires an interdisciplinary approach".
Hospice Palliative Care Day for Children is coordinated by the CHPCA. For more information and downloadable resources for National Children's Hospice Palliative Care Day, please visit https://www.chpca.ca/HPCforChildren
The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) and the Canadian Network for Palliative Care for Children (CNPCC) provide leadership and a common voice for pediatric hospice palliative and palliative care across Canada, driving, empowering and supporting high quality care throughout the trajectory of the illness and through bereavement.
SOURCE Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
‘World first’ as mass Covid-19 vaccine trial begins in BradfordProfessor leading study makes urgent plea for more BAME volunteers
06 October 2020 The University of Bradford is hosting one of the world’s first mass Covid-19 vaccine trials, beginning today (Tues Oct 6).US biotechnology company Novavax is working with Bradford Institute for Health Research (BIHR), part of the Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. (BTHFT), to begin trials at the University’s Digital Health Enterprise Zone (DHEZ).The trial will involve 500 recruits (and another 600 at a site in Leeds), with 50 people given the vaccine per day. Volunteers will be given two doses of the vaccine, one on their first day and a second on day 21. They will then be monitored for 12 months. A total of 10,000 people will take part in the ‘Phase 3’ trial, including at other sites, across the UK.Visiting Honorary Professor at the University of Bradford, Dr Dinesh Saralaya, who is a Consultant Respiratory Physician at BTHFT, said: “This is great news for Bradford and it is of great prestige that we are using the University. This is the first mass Covid vaccine trial in West Yorkshire and we will be one of the first centres of 16 to be initiated.”He added: “We have seen more than 2,300 people sign up as volunteers but only a small proportion of those are from black, Asian, minority, ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. We are making great efforts to try and recruit more people from these groups and would like to appeal for more to sign up.”University of Bradford Vice Chancellor Professor Shirley Congdon said: “The University is delighted to be supporting the BIHR by hosting their Covid vaccine trials. This is an important collaboration between the University’s DHEZ and BIHR that demonstrates the strength of partnership with the NHS locally and shows the benefits that can come when organisations work together to make the best use of their combined assets.”People can volunteer here. All those taking part must be over 18 and not have had Covid-19 in order for the vaccine to be effective. Further vaccine trials are expected to begin in November. Picture: 1) University of Bradford campus Credit: UoBNotes for editors:Trials web sign-up url : https://bepartof.bradfordresearch.nhs.uk/For further media information, please contact communications@bthft.nhs.uk or call 01274 383901.
Canadian Drug Policy Coalition launches national dialogue series on the overdose crisis and COVID-19
Using learnings from the pandemic to respond to Canada's other public health crisis
VANCOUVER, BC, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Never before in Canadian history have communities confronted two concurrent public health catastrophes like the overdose crisis, fueled by a toxic drug supply, and a coronavirus pandemic that has uprooted the routines of daily life and society. At the heart of these converging crises are people who use drugs. COVID-19 has made everything worse for this community at a time when overdose deaths are rising across the country and individual health and safety is more precarious than ever.
In response to this unprecedented time, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition at Simon Fraser University, in partnership with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, is launching Getting to Tomorrow: Ending the Overdose Crisis—18 public health dialogues across Canada over the next two years aimed at identifying and moving towards solutions to the overdose crisis, in the context of COVID-19, by building consensus and shared meaning.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the illegal drug toxicity death crisis as a catastrophic failure of Canada's current approach to drugs. Governments have moved mountains in response to the COVID-19 pandemic while a coherent pan-Canadian approach to over 15,000 overdose deaths in the past four and a half years has failed to materialize," said Donald MacPherson, executive director of the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition. "We hope the Getting to Tomorrow dialogue series will inform, engage, and inspire Canadians to become more involved in building a new approach to drugs based on principles of public health and human rights, and lead to improved health and safety for all in our communities."
Getting to Tomorrow is also hoping to use learnings from the COVID-19 pandemic to improve Canada's overdose response at a time when lives are being lost at an unprecedented rate. More specifically, Getting to Tomorrow has three main goals:
Accelerate the adoption of public health- and human rights-based drug policies to guide government responses to drugs in Canada
Empower decision makers and the public to take evidence-based actions by providing the latest research on policies that could end the overdose crisis
Engage the public in dialogue on issues related to substance use and drug policy
The dialogues will happen virtually (open to invited attendees only) and will invite leaders from diverse communities, including people who use drugs, community and business leaders, government officials, First Nations, public health officials, and law enforcement, to share their stories of navigating the challenges of the overdose crisis during a time of pandemic and global instability. By sharing perspectives and stories, communities can come to recognize the commonalities that unite us rather than the differences that set us apart. This can lay the groundwork for transformative change.
Getting to Tomorrow will begin in Montreal on October 7 with community partner l'Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ).
"As Montreal is one of the epicentres of COVID-19 in Canada, the lives of people who use substances are more than ever at risk as the number of overdoses is dramatically rising," said Sandhia Vadlamudy, executive director of l'Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec. "Having such a dialogue in Montreal, as well as any other city, will help us understand each other's perspectives and work together towards better longer-term solutions where everybody wins."
Getting to Tomorrow is supported by Health Canada through the Substance Use and Addictions Program.
About Canadian Drug Policy Coalition The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC) is a coalition of 50 organizations and 4,000 individuals working to support the development of progressive drug policy grounded in science, guided by public health principles, and respectful of human rights. The CDPC operates as a project within Simon Fraser University under the Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction. The CDPC seeks to include people who use drugs and those harmed by the war on drugs in moving toward a healthier Canadian society free of stigma and social exclusion.
AboutMorris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue Simon Fraser University's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue creates real-world impact for society's most pressing challenges by using dialogue and engagement to co-create solutions, exchange knowledge, support community-engaged learning, and to build the capacity of others in the knowledge and practice of dialogue. They strive to bring together diverse voices, stories, perspectives and experiences, with a goal to increase understanding about others and ourselves. It is a conversational process intended to help us gain insight into complex problems to which no one person holds the answer.
About Association des intervenants en dépendance du Québec (AIDQ) AIDQ is a non-profit organization that includes stakeholders from all sectors interested in the field of addictions in Quebec, such as the public, private and community sectors, public health and social services, education, universities, research, public safety and the workplace. AIDQ's mission is to promote and support intervention in the areas of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and the social reintegration of people with addictions and those at risk of becoming addicted, through skills development, information, collaboration, and the sharing of expertise.
SOURCE Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Gripping Account of Suicide Attempt and Recovery Aims to Break the Stigma Surrounding Mental Health
New York NY, October 6, 2020 — Mark Henick is one of North America’s foremost advocates for mental health. His powerful TEDx talk, Why We Choose Suicide, is among the most watched in the world and shares his unforgettable account of standing on an overpass and letting go. He is one of the lucky few to plunge into the seemingly unforgiving darkness and somehow awaken to the hopeful light of day.
He shares his vital, triumphant story of perseverance and recovery in So-Called Normal: A Memoir of Family, Depression and Resilience, in which he vividly recounts his heart-pounding moments on the wrong side of the railing on a crumbling, concrete overpass.
Henick’s near-death experience that night would alter his emotional orbit just enough that his exit from a psychiatric ward following that suicide attempt in 2003 would be his last. His transformation didn’t happen overnight — it was a gradual process punctuated with new challenges and setbacks — but slowly, his patterns reversed and he began a profound, “upward” spiral toward recovery.
So-Called Normal chronicles Henick’s youth and the events that led to that fateful night on the bridge and the experiences and transformation that followed. It is a vivid and personal account of a boy who had to deal with the breakdown of his parents’ marriage, an abusive stepfather, bullying and trauma — all while trying to navigate his progressively worsening mental health. In the backdrop is a community that didn’t talk about mental illness, one where silence and maintaining the comforts of “normal” was paramount.
So-Called Normal is not a “misery memoir” about suicide — it’s a gripping, inspirational story of survival that has already touched the hearts of many, including television personality Rosie O’Donnell.
“Mark Henick is a powerful storyteller. His vivid account of his early years as a depressed, suicidal teenager is a page-turner. So-Called Normal is beautifully written, heart-wrenching, and hopeful. Necessary reading for anyone who wants a peek inside the mind of someone who journeyed through mental illness and found hope on the other side,” O’Donnell said.
Author Mark Henick’s TEDx talk about being saved from death by a stranger is one of the most watched in the world and has been viewed millions of times. His search for “the man in the brown jacket” whose bravery and strong arms kept him from falling to his death went viral around the world (and was successful!). Henick has been on television and radio and has written many articles on mental health. He has hosted more than 60 intimate conversations about mental health with notable public figures and celebrities on his podcast, So-Called Normal, and has executive produced and hosted the Living Well podcast for Morneau Shepell. Henick has served on the board of directors for the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and was the president of a provincial division of the Canadian Mental Health Association — the youngest person in either role. He has worked as a frontline clinician, a program manager and the national director of strategic initiatives for CMHA. Currently the CEO and principal strategist for Strategic Mental Health Consulting, Mark Henick is in high demand as an international keynote speaker on mental health recovery.
Government of Ontario COVID-19 recovery must address mental health and addiction crisis warn experts
TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Everything is not all right, warned Ontario's leading mental health and addiction organizations including, Addictions and Mental Health Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Children's Mental Health Ontario, The Royal, Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, and Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care in a meeting with Deputy Premier and Health Minister Christine Elliott and Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo. The group discussed the critical importance of embedding mental health and addiction as part of recovery efforts for the impact of COVID-19.
The pandemic of mental illness predated COVID-19 by decades. Mental illness, including substance use, is a burning hot issue right now. Before the onset of COVID-19 more than one million people in Ontario experienced mental health and addiction challenges every year. Ontarians were already facing up to 2.5 year wait times to access mental health and addiction services in some cases, often turning to emergency rooms in crisis.
The mental health of Ontarians is an economic issue. The pandemic of mental illness and addiction is affecting Ontarians' ability to work, earn an income, pay taxes, maintain stable housing and care for their families. We are greatly concerned about the effects on generations to come if we do not embed sustained, mental health and addiction care as part of recovery efforts.
Ontario's mental health and addiction leaders are critically concerned about the impact that COVID-19 has already had on Ontarians, in particular the trauma endured by front line professionals and those who have lost loved ones. Research shows that COVID-19 disproportionately impacts racialized and lower-income people. Overdose rates and opioid related deaths have increased during the months of the pandemic by up to 35-40% on a weekly basis, according to Ontario's Chief Coroner. The most vulnerable, children and seniors, are at high risk, with some child and youth mental health centres already seeing a 20 to 50 per cent increase in the rate of demand since last year.
Providers of mental health and addiction services continue to advocate to the Ministry of Health and the Ontario government, asking that they reaffirm their commitment to develop and implement a comprehensive and connected system for Ontarians, investing $3.8 billion over ten years. This includes flowing $380 million in immediate funds for new services before the end of the year, along with the release of an implementation plan that includes specific priority outcomes and accountabilities. This also includes multi-year funding to support and save the lives of those impacted by mental health and addiction issues.
Now is a critical time to invest the committed funding into the mental health of Ontarians, an investment that will pay both health and economic-related dividends for years to come.
In our meeting we stressed the importance of the Ontario government meeting its mental health and addiction commitment. We are concerned that two years after coming into government there is still no funding to reduce wait times for Ontarians waiting for mental health and addiction services.
We are calling for a recommitment to the government's promise to invest $3.8 billion over ten years to build a comprehensive and connected mental health and addiction system.
To date, the province has not kept up with promised, targeted investments for mental health and addiction of $380 million per year, even as demands increase as a result of COVID-19. For the mental health and addiction sector to continue to provide the often life-saving treatment and services Ontarians need, a comprehensive system funding package is needed now.
SOURCE Addictions and Mental Health Ontario
TRAIN IT RIGHT NEWSLETTER
Sign Up and get a free 7 day Train it Right HIIT Program!
