Toronto – The following is a statement from Camille Quenneville, CEO of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division, regarding the 10th anniversary of Bell Let’s Talk Day, today, Wednesday, Jan. 29:
“CMHA Ontario congratulates Bell on 10 incredible years of Bell Let’s Talk, a campaign that has created a profound, positive shift in the way Canadians perceive mental health and mental illness. For a decade, Bell Let’s Talk’s simple, unifying message to speak out about mental health has brought our country together for one day each year to show individuals who are experiencing a mental health issue understand they’re not alone. This initiative has had a significant impact on creating mental health awareness, reducing stigma and ultimately saving lives.
Each year, Bell Let’s Talk provides CMHA Ontario an opportunity to share information about the expertise, services and programs it provides in communities across Ontario in support of people living with mental health concerns, mental illnesses or addictions. We applaud Bell Let’s Talk for taking another step in its evolution this year by bringing on several not-for-profit organizations, including CMHA, as partners in its campaign to bring additional awareness of mental health and addictions programs and services to Canadians.
Today, we encourage everyone to tweet #BellLetsTalk, view its videos on social media, and use its Facebook frame or Snapchat filter to donate five cents in support of mental health initiatives in Canada. Here’s to many more years of Bell Let’s Talk to come.”
About Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario is a not-for-profit, charitable organization funded by the provincial Ministry of Health. We work to improve the lives of all Ontarians through leadership, collaboration and continual pursuit of excellence in community-based mental health and addictions services. Our vision is a society that embraces and invests in the mental health of all people. We are a trusted advisor to government, contributing to health systems development through policy formulation and recommendations that promote positive mental health. Our 29 local CMHA branches, together with community-based mental health and addictions service providers across the province, serve approximately 500,000 Ontarians each year.
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For more information, contact:
Justin Dickie
Communications Officer
Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
T: 416-977-5580, ext. 4175
E: jdickie@ontario.cmha.ca