A Mental Health Strategy for ALL Canadians

In the age of WikiLeaks it is very naïve for the Mental Health Commission of Canada to release a document labeled DRAFT – NOT FOR CIRCULATION. Taking this approach with something as important as a Mental Health Strategy for Canada (D-MHSC) is more than disappointing. It is also not in the spirit of “Mental Health is everyone’s business.” as was stated in Toward Recovery & Well-Being.



As I read the D-MHSC I was cognizant of wise words from Mike Kirby. He often expressed his hope that each and every Canadian would agree with 75% of the work of the Commission. I can certainly agree with and support more than 75% of the draft strategy.

Hopefully any comment about what may concern us about the D-MHSC or the Commission will be in the context of overall support. The Mental Health Commission of Canada, imperfect as it is, continues to be Canada’s best hope for significant progress in the areas of mental health problems and illnesses.

With that said, I would like to express several serious concerns I have.

In January 2008 I personally heard Mike Kirby publicly state, as he announced the “Friends” program, that a successful social movement was critical to the success of the Commission. He recognized the necessity of broad public support and pressure to overcome the inevitable resistance to change which he expected to surface.

I am disappointed by Strategic Direction 6: Mobilize leadership. In my view this should read Mobilize Canadians. The third paragraph begins with the following statement: “In order to build on this momentum and sustain it over time, leadership at many levels will be required.” NO! In order to build momentum, Canadians at all levels and in great numbers must be mobilized. Canadians who have never before been active in the areas of mental health and mental illness must become engaged in this important cause.

The expression of the need for a strong social movement has been reduced to one paragraph in the D-MHSC. In Toward Recovery & Well-Being there was a chapter, A Call to Action: Building a Social Movement, which listed seven examples of the many ways a social movement could contribute to success. The language and action items of Strategic Direction 6 are quite different from those in the framework document. Is this a deliberate change in strategy? Or is this a reflection of the failure to date of the senior management team of the Commission to deliver on Kirby’s vision?

There is much good work that could flow from the 22 action items contained in the D-MHSC. But the style and the language do not stir passions and inspire and therefore the strategy as currently presented is unlikely to engage Canadians. But engaging Canadians at this time is clearly not the intent of an organization that circulates a document labeled NOT FOR CIRCULATION. The Commission knows how to engage Canadians. The D-MHSC has 141 end notes. The final document should also include 141 stories about the experiences of real Canadians.

As evidence for my perspective I note the article by André Picard, Mental health strategy draft doesn’t go far enough, in The Globe and Mail on August 31st. It is not the content of the article which troubled me but rather the fact that it generated only 49 comments on the website, 2 of which were by Commission insiders. If there were even the beginnings of a robust social movement, this article should generate 490 or 4900 comments! The passionate article by Susan Inman, Suppressing Schizophrenia, in TheTyee.ca on August 29th generated only 14 comments in spite of the fact it was mentioned by Picard in his article.

But I can point to a positive example of engagement. The COALITION FOR APPROPRIATE CARE AND TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESSES (CFACT) published an open letter to the Commission as its response to the D-MHSC. I would like to compliment this organization for its approach. It would be nice to see a public response from the Commission to this excellent letter which made a number of important points.

Every organization which was asked to provide its feedback to the Commission should follow the courageous example of CFACT and self-identify and share their responses with all Canadians. Better yet, the Commission should acknowledge it has made a mistake and immediately put the D-MHSC in the public domain. Otherwise the final Mental Health Strategy for Canada will be seen as a document crafted by an elite behind closed doors instead of a document which will energize Canadians to force action.

Strategic Direction 5: Seek innovation with First Nations, Inuit and Métis should be a total embarrassment to the Commission simply because it is “UNDER DEVELOPMENT”. What an incredible statement of underachievement! From its start the Commission had a First Nations, Inuit and Métis Advisory Committee reflecting its recognition of the need for extra attention to this area. And, after over three and a half years, one page with no content in the D-MHSC is the best it can do?

Much good can come from the actions listed in Strategic Directions 1 to 4. However, as a package these actions have the feel of incremental progress rather than the profound change the Mental Health Commission of Canada has promised. Where are the bold giant steps forward?

I would also like to add comments to the criticism of the Commission that it is not adequately addressing in the D-MHSC the needs of people with severe and persistent mental illnesses, particularly schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. I agree that the Commission does not specifically address these needs and often generally speaks to one category which includes all those with “mental health problems and illnesses”. I agree that the Commission could and should go deeper. A Mental Health Strategy for Canada will be incomplete if this group continues to be marginalized.

But I urge everyone, including those with or speaking for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses, not to magnify your concerns to the point where it inhibits the Commission from leading the way to a transformed mental health system. Please continue to fight for your particular needs. Surely you can agree with at least 75% of what the Commission is doing. Let’s unite and move forward.

There is so much more which could and should be said about the D-MHSC. There need to be many more voices speaking up. Thousands more. It is time for Canadians to express their outrage with the status quo.

Upon request, I will gladly provide any Canadian with a copy of the Mental Health Strategy for Canada DRAFT NOT FOR CIRCULATION June 3, 2011 Mental Health Commission of Canada.