An article published in yesterday's edition of Metro Halifax:
By Devin Stevens
The Mental Health Coalition of Nova Scotia held its third public forum yesterday, and is preparing to make noise during the federal election.
“Our voice isn’t enough,” said Carol Tooton, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Nova Scotia branch.
“We need to bring others from the community in who are working on similar issues, people with the lived experience, who have been through the system. Family members, friends, businesses.”
About 50 people met at the Halifax Forum, breaking into discussion groups and brainstorming how to best represent the mentally ill.
By mid-afternoon, large sheets of paper were taped to the walls, outlining the Coalition’s ideas. Over the next few weeks they plan to pressure federal election candidates to do more.
Tooton said that even though they don’t provide services, the coalition will be after municipal candidates to address those issues as well.
“Guess what? If you have a mental issue and you’re homeless, and you’re panhandling on Spring Garden Road, then it’s an issue for the municipality,” Tooton said.
Tooton said that mental health funding accounts for just four per cent of Nova Scotia’s health care budget, and that number is slipping.
Keith Brumwell runs the Caring and Sharing Social Club, where adults with severe mental health problems can get together, play games, and relax.
Brumwell said he was worried by the lack of funding.
He recently contacted the authorities about a person he thought was suicidal. The doctors agreed, but told the patient to go home for three or four days until a bed became available.
“Home was part of the problem with her,” Brumwell said.
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