Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Kitchener—Conestoga, a member who has been a leading and indeed an award-winning advocate on the issue of suicide prevention.
I also want to say to the member for Scarborough—Guildwood that it was an honour to be in this place to hear one of the most courageous speeches I have been able to witness in my young career. I want to thank him for that.
One of the most devastating and tragic events a family, a friend, a colleague or a community can face is the suicide of someone they know. Suicide does not discriminate and it can happen to anyone, as we heard, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.
We had a very high profile situation right here in Ottawa when young Daron Richardson took her life last year. The grief and outpouring of emotion that was displayed had a profound impact on many parliamentarians. Many MPs were honoured to join the Richardsons here on the Hill this past February to help the family launch the Do It for Daron suicide awareness campaign. This campaign has raised awareness of teen suicide in the Ottawa community.
While there are many contributing factors to suicide, mental illness is the major one. People with mood disorders are at particularly high risk of suicide. Studies indicate that more than 90% of suicide victims suffer from a mental illness or substance abuse problem. By addressing the underlying issues associated with suicide, such as mental illness, we can save lives.
Community engagement is critical for our individual well-being. Support or lack of support from a community can have a significant impact on an individual's mental health and on an individual's decision to end his or her life. Our government believes in the power of Canadian communities and is actively supporting efforts and initiatives that will help contribute to the health of Canadians.
I will tell members about the ways this government is helping communities understand the factors contributing to mental illnesses.
In 2007 the government created the Mental Health Commission of Canada as an independent arm's-length organization to provide a national focal point for mental illness. The government has invested $130 million in the commission over 10 years to advance work on mental health issues. The commission has extended its reach into Canadian communities through many of its initiatives, such as its anti-stigma campaign and work to improve access to information and best practices. The commission is also developing a national mental health strategy which is to be released in 2012.
The commission is undertaking a groundbreaking project to investigate mental illness and homelessness. In 2008 the government provided $110 million over five years for this project. The project is taking place in five Canadian cities: Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Moncton. This project provides housing to homeless people with a mental illness so they can concentrate on improving their mental health.
We can agree that improved mental health will contribute to reducing the risk of suicide. This innovative project has the potential to make Canada a world leader in providing services to homeless people living with mental illness. This project has taken more than 1,000 mentally ill and homeless people off the streets and has facilitated access to community mental health services, including suicide prevention programs for many more.
In Vancouver the program is focusing on homeless people with mental illnesses and addictions. Over 450 people have been involved and over 220 have been housed.
In Winnipeg the program is working to address homelessness within the aboriginal population. As hon. members may know, the Winnipeg homeless population is estimated to be 75% to 80% aboriginal. In that city over 400 people have been involved and over 119 people now have homes.
In Toronto 30% to 40% of the homeless people come from minority communities. Racism, discrimination and stigma are barriers that can impact mental health. The project is working to address the removal of these barriers. Over 440 people have become project participants in Toronto, and as of March of this year, 175 have been housed.
In Moncton and Montreal the projects are providing services for homeless people in English and French speaking communities. As of March, work in these cities had resulted in over 580 mentally ill homeless people joining the program and 259 being housed.
When we speak of community well-being, we must also recognize the unique needs of first nations and Inuit communities. Our Minister of Health is from the north and knows first-hand the impact and rate of suicide in these communities.
Our government recognizes that suicide among aboriginal young people is an urgent matter. We are working to reduce the rates of suicide among aboriginal youth across Canada and in the north.
Through Health Canada, the government invested $65 million from 2005-10 to establish the national aboriginal youth suicide prevention strategy. Budget 2010 provided $75 million from 2010-15 to continue this support to communities and address aboriginal youth suicide. This is a $10 million increase over five years.
Aboriginal youth suicide programs are one of several Health Canada initiatives that fund communities to address mental health and addictions. Other services include access to mental health counselling, addictions treatment and prevention, and mental health promotion activities. These programs are demonstrating positive results, including increased youth engagement, skills development, and improved coping and leadership skills.
Our government is also supporting broader efforts to understand the mental health of Canadians. That is why in 2012 Statistics Canada will administer a mental health survey as part of its Canadian community health survey program.
This mental health survey will provide a comprehensive picture of mental health among the Canadian population. It will provide insight into the extent and distribution of selected mental disorders. It will also examine access and use of formal and informal mental health care services and supports. Policy makers and researchers will use this information to adjust and develop policies and programs to meet the mental health needs of Canada's population.
Mental health in the workplace is also important. Many of us spend more time at our place of work than anywhere else. Good mental health at work is important not just for the individual, but also for the employer, the community and families.
Our government supports positive mental health in the workplace. On June 16 of this year we announced funding of $320,000 for the development of a national standard for psychological health and safety in the workplace. This is a collaborative undertaking led by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in partnership with the Canadian Standards Association, the Bureau de normalization du Québec, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The objective of the national standard is to provide employers with a set of best practices which, when properly applied, would lead to measurable improvements in psychological health and safety in the workplace. This project will make it easier for employers to take steps to promote mental health in the workplace. Canada will be the first country in the world to develop such a standard.
In closing, our government's investments in understanding and addressing mental health at the community level is just one way that we are demonstrating our commitment to improving mental health and reducing the rate of suicide in Canada.