New Pilot Project Aimed at Helping Mentally Ill

Wednesday, October 29, 2008 03:58 AM

Prince George, B.C. - Some people with mental health issues in Prince George could be part of a two year pilot project announced by the Provincial Government.

The program is supposed to make it easier for people with mental illness to access specialized support programs and services says Minister of Housing and Social development, Rich Coleman "This program will enable people with mental illness to participate more fully at home, at work or in their communities by improving access to supports such as mental health services and a higher level of income assistance."

The Canadian Mental Health Association's BC Division (CMHA) will use the $800 thousand dollars of funding to help people with mental illnesses apply and qualify for a variety of programs and services. CMHA community navigators will work with homeless outreach workers to identify people who may require assistance, and to help them to fill out application forms, secure accommodation, and find doctors who can assess and treat their mental illnesses.

The program will operate regionally though five CHMA BC branches in Prince George, Williams Lake / 100 Mile House, Kelowna, Kootenays,and North and West Vancouver.

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Posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2008 03:58 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Bridge on October 29 2008 10:13 AM

Well at least they have moved from studies to pilot projects.

Cheers

Posted by: thereasonableman on October 29 2008 1:24 PM

800 large, wow that's enormous.

If we had 800 mentally ill homeless in BC, that would be $1,000 apiece. At least it might cover the cost of administration fees, right ?
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Q: Buddy can you spare a dime ?

A: Buddy, if I could personally change anything about a homeless, mentally ill person's life for the cost of $1,000.00 apiece, then...Yes, I could spare a dime. I would personally pay the $1,000.00 myself if I thought that kind of money would do anything more than pay for their medication for most of one year...maybe...let alone provide any kind of housing or services for any length of time, or pay the people needed to deliver these services. The only service is lip service.

Isn't it deplorable how we treat our most disadvantaged these days ? What a kind and generous society we live in.

At the very least, if the entire system crumbled in this financial crunch and everything came crashing down...our children would do a much better job of taking care of these people than we ever did.
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800K...might as well just put it up your nose.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on October 29 2008 2:07 PM

We need to be very aware of anything the B.C.Liberals do over the next 6 or 7 months and any promises or deals they make.
They are running a bit gun shy right now, and that will only get worse as the provincial election comes closer.
They will probably win overall,but many of them will take a beating at the polls and some of their motives may be a bit self-serving.
They will be taking care of those that they think will benefit them the most, and to hell with those that actually NEED help.
They have had plenty of time to actually do something for these people and they haven't,so why are they starting now with another token?
And how much of this will go to "administration" costs before these people actually see any funds?
If I sound negative,that's because I probably am...but that's the governments fault!

Posted by: BC Mary on October 31 2008 3:27 PM

.
Last evening on the news, we saw something completely new ... skilled tradesmen living in the woods.

No, not camping. Not picnicking. Just doing their best to survive without paid employment and after their homes are lost. In Canada.

We'll have to pay attention to (as Andyfreeze says) "anything the B.C. Liberals do over the next 6 or 7 months and ANY PROMISES OR DEALS THEY MAKE ..."

What scares me is that they're spending $1BILLION for security at the 2010 Olympics. When you read up on the stuff they think they need, it provides all the fixings for a complete police state in place after the Olympics are over. Imagine.

So we'd better ask our questions NOW, while we still can. Like: what plans does the province have for mass unemployment?

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