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Get Loud. Take Action. B4Stage4

The Canadian Mental Health Association wants to spark a conversation about the need to intervene early to prevent mental illness, including addictions.

Our B4Stage4 campaign calls for increased funding for community-based programs that save money and save lives. We would never knowingly wait until Stage 4 to intervene for cancer; we educate, screen and take action in the early stages. We need to do the same for mental illness.

The current mental health care system is unsustainable. We need to invest in change now. We can’t wait. When we wait, people get sick. When we wait, people die.

A recent IPSOS poll conducted on behalf of CMHA BC revealed that 77% of British Columbians feel that the prevention and early identification of mental illness is one of the top ten most important issues facing BC today. Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed also feel that mental health conditions should receive the same or higher funding priority than physical health conditions.

The 41^st BC general election is scheduled for May 9, 2017, and we are urging all British Columbians to call on our provincial electoral candidates to increase funding of mental illness prevention and early intervention programs.

We need to invest in community mental health care so that families and communities can better support their loved ones and enable recovery.

Programs like Bounce Back® and Confident Parents: Thriving Kids teach skills to support recovery from mental illness and improve mental health. Early intervention saves money and preserves families and communities.