Yesterday was the official opening of CAMH in Toronto, the refurbished and expanded Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. It looks like a place which will encourage health and wholeness, and the programs were ballyhooed at the launch of the new improved centre and in an advertising campaign. This is encouraging as is a generous gift of $10 million by the McCain family.
On CBC Metro Morning today host Matt Galloway challenged health minister Deb Matthews on the shadow side of all this. He mentioned responses from listeners who spoke of the frustration of waiting up to three years to get help for mentally ill loved ones and wondered whether the new CAMH will make a difference.
Some of you might remember what was probably my "rantiest" blog ever, in which I proclaimed our mental health care system crazy. It was my response to watching loving families stretched to the limits by a system which does not serve either those who are mentally ill or those who support them well.
I am glad for the goals of CAMH. I'm glad that slowly but surely the stigmas are receding. In ancient times people thought the mentally ill were demon possessed. Jesus responded to these outcasts as a compassionate healer. Until recently societies tended to demonize these folk rather than work toward health. We are changing.
What are your thoughts about the CAMH opening? Are we going in the right direction?
I want to be optimistic and hopeful. Experience reminds me of the inadequate in-patient care and the total lack of follow-up services on discharge. I am encouraged by the way society (and, yes, CAMH) are reducing the stigma. I just hope that the benefits of all this hoop-la will filter down to the needy patients and their families.
ReplyDeleteDitto, Janet. I have hope.
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