Campaign calls for federal $100 million suicide prevention fund

Partners for Mental Health have launched a new campaign to get the help that Canadian youth need.

Called “The Right By You” campaign, the advocacy group is asking Canadians to speak out, urging provincial governments to cover mental health care for all children and youth as well as to establish a $100 million federal suicide prevention fund.

According to the Partners, three of four children and youth with a mental health problem or illness will not receive treatment. Twenty per cent of those diagnosed will have to wait more than a year to receive treatment. Further, nearly one in four deaths of youth aged 15-19 are the result of suicide.

The campaign website is loaded with the tools activists need to push the issue out into the community. That includes an on-line petition and a connection to federal MPs in which you can use the Partner’s sample letter or create your own.

The site also includes a collection of stories by Canadians who have been affected by mental illness, including several heartbreaking videos of parents who have lost a child to suicide.

To watch the short “Right By You” campaign video, click on the box below.