Check out the interview below that CFMHN President Florence Budden gave. For the full article please go to www.lobbymonitor.ca
The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health(CAMIMH) is going to push for federal legislation that puts mental health funding on equal footing with that of physical health, and plans to use social media to get the word out.
As Canada heads into the election season, CAMIMH will be recommending that the federal government introduce “mental health parity” legislation affirming that communities, organizations and workplaces should treat mental and physical health equitably through their policies, programs, and benefits, explained Florence Budden, co-chair of the CAMIMH.
“We also want to ensure … that it’s clearly articulated through accountability measures to make sure parity is not just in name only – that there’s measurable goals and outcomes that need to be integrated if a mental health parity act came into play,” said Budden. “Even though we’ve come a long way, we still believe there’s a way to go, and that’s why we’re looking at making mental health parity a reality now.”
CAMIMH will recommend the federal government assess its funding and delivery of mental health services by comparing it to the funding and services provided to different populations specifically for physical illness. These groups would include Indigenous peoples, veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members, federal inmates, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and public servants.