Events for Mental Illness Awareness Week

NEWS RELEASE

CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

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Mental Illness Awareness Week will take place in Sault Ste. Marie from October 5-9.

To mark the week, the Canadian Mental Health Association of Sault Ste. Marie (CMHA) will be presenting a display in the Station Mall, along with Shot in the Dark Productions, to promote the musical Tommy.

The event will take place on Friday, October 9 at 11:30 a.m. at center court.  

During the week, CMHA will also recognize the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie with a Mental Health Workplace Leadership Award. 

This award is given to an organization from the public, private or volunteer sector, which has demonstrated the promotion of mental health in the workplace and cooperation between employers, employees and community agencies.  

The City of Sault Ste Marie recently coordinated its first mental health training initiative for all senior management, supervisory staff and core members of its Joint Health and Safety Committees.

Lisa Carricato, Mental Health Educator from CMHA, developed a customized one-day training course which included symptom recognition, a review of local resources and a 3-hour certified suicide alertness session called safeTALK.

Mayor Christian Provenzano has supported the training initiative from the outset.

“I am pleased that so many City employees have been able to participate in this vital training,” says Provenzano. “Mental illness is a serious issue. We need to continue breaking down stigmas and misconceptions through education and honest discussion. I commend Beth Madonna, the City’s Return to Work Coordinator, for spearheading this project.”

The course has been well-received by City staff. 

Participating employees now have additional tools and training to effectively handle certain situations and make referrals to local resources.

In total, 175 City employees will be trained by the end of 2015 with the assistance of the CMHA. 

The hope is to reach out to all employees with this training opportunity in the future.

Lisa Carricato of CMHA remarks, “The City is striving to create an environment of acceptance, tolerance and awareness. They have proactively initiated this training before changes to legislation required them to do so. We would like to recognize their commitment to promoting positive mental health by providing education and support to staff.”

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