The government of Nova Scotia has made an investment of $1 million as part of the anniversary of its inaugural mental health and addictions strategy, and will be the first Canadian province to provide a peer support program for those experiencing mental illness. The peer support program will be led by Healthy Minds Cooperative, and will help people move from hospital back to their communities. Annual funding for the program will come from the Department of Health and Wellness for about 30 people to be trained and certified as peer support specialists. Minister of Health and Wellness David Wilson describes the role: “Peer support specialists are people who themselves have some mental illness or who have suffered a mental illness in the past, and they know exactly how to connect with Nova Scotians who are suffering an illness currently.”
You can read more about this and other first-year actions and achievements of “Together We Can: The plan to improve mental health and addictions care for Nova Scotians” on the Government of Nova Scotia website.