Comments on: how many suicides are ok, mr. minister?

By: isabella mori

isabella mori — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:03:41 +0000

@evan, i love this saying, “it will be a great day when schools are funded and the military has to hold a cake stall!”

@sandra i totally agree with you re more peer-led initiatives. in all areas, actually, not just mental health. that’s why the CMHA’s participatory advisory committee’s event last tuesday was really great (the one i talked about here: http://www.moritherapy.org/article/rising-up-to-end-stigma/)

@lorene, thanks for visiting here! unfortunately there is evidence everywhere that our current government is not very people friendly. hopefully that will change soon.
.-= isabella mori (@moritherapy)´s last blog ..swans on a wordless wednesday =-.

By: 2010 Olympics « Talking To Air

2010 Olympics « Talking To Air — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:21:43 +0000

[...] While all levels of government prepare for the arrival of the world’s media and athletes, the BC government has begun to slash services in many health-care agencies, including Mental Health. Read more here. [...]

By: isabella mori

isabella mori — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:15:24 +0000

oh god christa, i’m so sorry to hear about that. i wish you and his loved ones peace in the midst of this great sorrow.

By: Christa

Christa — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:10:27 +0000

I lost ANOTHER friend to suicide this week. These cuts are unacceptable! I pray for those in Canada that may suffer because of this. .-= Christa´s last blog ..Another Man Down =-.

By: Raul

Raul — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:11:48 +0000

Dearest Isabella,

Don’t even get me started with this. I completely agree, these “budget adjustments” just make me want to scream and kick the current policies in the butt!

By: Evan

Evan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:11:51 +0000

Great news. Politicians will now be cutting their administrative support. Fewer secretaries, party workers and so on. This is wonderful news.

Unless it doesn’t happen. In which case we can conclude that they are either hypocrites, too stupid to know that admin is essential, or malicious ideologues (don’t see many other alternatives).

When I was in the NGO sector this was always the problem. To be fair from private as well as government – to get the admin funded! Service provision you could usually get some (usually inadequate) funding for but getting it for admin was a nightmare. Apparently you were meant to help people who couldn’t contact you and you shouldn’t tell others about what you were doing (no funding for telephone costs, postage etc).

If I sound angry and disgusted it is because I am.

Then there is the expenditure on security – not even to mention politicians perks (oops I just did).

“It will be a great day when schools are funded and the military has to hold a cake stall!”
.-= Evan´s last blog ..Seven Questions About Strength and Weakness =-.

By: Sandra

Sandra — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:16:28 +0000

These cuts are unacceptable. The agencies I work for have been hit, and so have services available to me as a consumer. Entire programs simply wiped out with vague words about how it’ll all be better with “restructuring” and “changes” – but the staff are gone, beds are cut, and fewer consumers are able to access the care – at all levels of care – that they need.

Even if the suicide hotlines had adequate funding, if the hospitals and community services they refer people to are unable to provide help, what’s the point?

VCH Mental Health and Addictions have been increasingly overwhelmed in recent years. To imagine there is anywhere at all to cut when there is actually a mental health crisis very visible on the city streets, and an invisible one behind it with service barriers to all but the most severely dysfunctional, is absurd. The statements from Kevin Falcon are not at all convincing and have been condemned by commenters on every news site and blog I’ve read them on. I echo them all.

I’d like to to encourage more peer-led initiatives during this funding crisis. If they won’t help people who need it, we have to help each other now.
.-= Sandra´s last blog ..Office Stigma =-.

By: Lorene

Lorene — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:20:28 +0000

The BC Liberals chose to cut services and programs in their first term during a time of surpluses. The gap between the have and have not continues to widen. They continue their cuts during a time when gov’t should be assisting people to survive this economic downturn.
BC Liberals have chosen: Their priority is not the people of BC.