NEWS RELEASE

STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SENATE COMMITTEE RELEASES FINAL REPORT ON MENTAL HEALTH, MENTAL ILLNESS AND ADDICTION

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS THE CREATION OF A CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH COMMISSION

A NICKEL A DRINK COULD FUND A NATIONAL APPROACH TO END THE FRAGMENTATION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

Ottawa May 9, 2006 – The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology today released its final report relating to mental health, mental illness and addiction in Canada.  This follows the earlier release of three interim reports (November 2004) that provided a broad review of policies and programs in this area.

The release of the final report concludes the Committee’s three year study on mental health and addiction.  The final report includes 118 recommendations, and a proposal to fund them.

Senator Michael Kirby, the Chair of the Committee, said that the release of the final report marked a first for a Parliamentary committee, and for the country. It is the most comprehensive study on mental health in Canada ever completed.

“The Senate Committee is committed to improving the range, quality and organization of health and support services that are required by the tens of thousands of Canadians who are living with mental illnesses and addictions,” said Senator Kirby, adding that he had “been shocked by how fragmented our system of mental health care is, and saddened by the effect of that fragmentation on persons living with mental illness.”

“Our recommendation to create a Canadian Mental Health Commission will focus national attention on this long-neglected area,” said Senator Wilbert Keon, the Deputy Chair of the Committee. “The strong support shown by the provinces and territories will ensure its success in facilitating a national approach to end the longstanding fragmentation of services, and reducing the stigma and discrimination faced by persons living with mental illness.”

“We understand that change costs money,” said Senator Kirby.  “Starting with our study of the acute-care system, this Senate Committee has always costed its recommendations, and suggested how government could raise the money to pay for them.  The Committee’s proposal to increase the federal excise tax on alcohol by a nickel a drink will help to shift consumption to lower alcohol products while also covering most of the cost of the proposed Mental Health Transition Fund.”

“The Committee believes that a total of $5.36 billion in federal funds should be made available to the provinces and territories to assist in transforming the mental health system over a ten year period,” said Senator Keon, noting that “a transition fund would be an affordable, time-limited commitment on the part of the Government of Canada that would cover the cost of an enriched basket of community services, and new supportive housing units for 57,000 persons living with mental illness.”

The release of the final report concludes the Senate Committee’s comprehensive three year study of mental health and addiction issues. Extensive consultation with Canadians, including public hearings in every province and territory, and two on-line questionnaires, has permitted the Committee to put forward 118 specific recommendations for transforming Canada’s mental health system.

Members and regular participants in the study include the Chair, Senator Michael Kirby (Lib- South Shore, Nova Scotia), Deputy Chair, Senator Wilbert Keon (C-Ottawa, Ontario), and Senators Catherine Callbeck (Lib-Prince Edward Island), Andrée Champagne (C-Granville, Québec, Ethel Cochrane (C-Newfoundland and Labrador), Joan Cook (Lib-Newfoundland and Labrador), Jane Cordy (Lib-Nova Scotia), Art Eggleton (Lib-Ontario), Joyce Fairbairn (Lib-

Lethbridge, Alberta), Michael Forrestall (C-Dartmouth and the Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia), Aurélien Gill (Lib-Wellington, Quebec), Viola Léger (retired, Lib-Acadie, New Brunswick), Yves Morin (retired, Lib-Lauzon, Quebec), Lucie Pépin (Lib-Shawinegan, Quebec), Brenda Robertson (retired, PC-New Brunswick), Douglas Roche (retired, Ind-Alberta), Eileen Rossiter (retired, PC-Prince Edward Island) and Marilyn Trenholme Counsell (Lib-New Brunswick).

The reports are available on the Parliamentary Internet at www.parl.gc.ca under “Committee Business” – “Senate” – “Reports”.

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