Office of the Premier
The Province has provided $3 million to the B.C. Schizophrenia Society (BCSS) to help expand their provincewide caregiver network, announced Health Minister Terry Lake today, marking national Schizophrenia Awareness Day. The network supports family and friends who are caring for loved ones with schizophrenia or serious mental illness.
“If unsupported, there can be many health, social and economic consequences associated with schizophrenia and psychosis,” said Lake. “Caregivers provide immeasurable support to loved ones who are dealing with serious mental illness, and by helping take care of their own mental wellness, we are also helping them provide love and support to those struggling with these illnesses.”
“Supporting these caregiver networks is also an innovative, cost-effective way to reduce the demand on the acute care system,” added Lake. “By helping people support their loved ones, we reduce the likelihood that individuals suffering with mental illness will need acute interventions.”
(flickr.com) The funding will help the society expand their current network of educators, who provide a variety of supports to those affected by serious mental illness, including schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, depression and other severe and persistent mental illnesses.
“Schizophrenia, like other mental health challenges, can affect the entire family,” said Minister of Children and Family Development Stephanie Cadieux. “Providing each family member with specialized supports and information tailored to their unique circumstances can make a huge difference. Today’s announcement will help the B.C. Schizophrenia Society to expand its services to better support family wellness for everyone who has a loved one dealing with this challenge.”
“This funding will literally save lives, in addition to reducing hospitalizations and homelessness across the province,” said Deborah Conner, executive director of B.C. Schizophrenia Society. “We have families and friends who are seeking access to support for their loved one reaching out to BCSS. Today, the B.C. government has answered their call. On behalf of families across B.C., we are grateful."
Currently, B.C. Schizophrenia Society has outreach educators working closely with several health authorities. This funding will help the society to provide more consistency in family supports, programs and services throughout the province.
The caregiver support network provides knowledge and tools for family members to help them respond to the often complex mental issues that their loved ones face, while also providing emotional support. These groups have been demonstrated to be extremely cost-effective and beneficial to family members. Additionally, BCSS builds community capacity to respond to the needs of caregivers and their ill loved one by training community partners such as police agencies, universities, hospitals and human resource departments.
The Province is committed to providing the best supports for people facing challenges associated with mental health and substance use concerns, and has built a comprehensive system of mental health and substance use services across the province.
The Ministry of Health invests approximately $1.42 billion every year in mental health and substance use services – an increase of 67% since 2000-01.
To ensure the province’s range of mental health programs work effectively together, the province is developing an integrated, cross-government mental health and substance use strategy for B.C. This work includes a review of current child and youth mental health programs and services. The goal is to address key gaps in the current system and ensure individuals and families can access support services early, before they find themselves in a crisis.
Learn More:
B.C. Schizophrenia Society website: www.bcss.org
Here to Help, a website of the BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions information: www.heretohelp.bc.ca
