October 1, 2012

NEW HOME FOR CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION WINNIPEG REGION NOW OPEN

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New Centre Offers Better Support, Higher Quality of Life: Rondeau

Representatives from the Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg Region (CMHAW) and other mental health partners joined Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Rondeau to officially open the new, 12,000-square-foot Community Education and Service Centre today at 930 Portage Ave.
“This new centre will provide a welcoming atmosphere and a broader range of supports and services for individuals and families experiencing mental health issues,” said Rondeau.  “It will also be a great resource for the community, given its new capacity for training and education.”
“Our new centre provides a fully functional, accessible home for staff, the individuals we provide service to and the community,” said Nicole Chammartin, executive director of CMHAW.  “Among many benefits, the new centre will allow for significant growth in our programming, with several new programs already underway, and workshop capacity expected to nearly double by 2013.”
Chammartin thanked the project funders including the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada, Winnipeg Foundation, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and Wawanesa Insurance.  She also thanked community partners and supporters including the Manitoba Schizophrenia Society, CentreVenture Development Corporation, Aboriginal Council of Winnipeg, SPARK (Supporting the Promotion of Activated Research and Knowledge), SSCOPE (Self-Starting Creative Opportunities for People in Employment), Manitoba League for Persons with Disabilities, Community Unemployed Help Centre, West Central Women’s Resource Centre, Community Financial Services Inc., SAIR Centre for Learning and Klinic Community Health Centre. 

The minister noted other provincial investments in mental health services including:

• investing more than $600,000 to establish a special court to work with accused whose mental health issues are the likely cause of their criminal behaviour and expanding mental health services to better support these individuals,
• partnering with Winnipeg’s Sara Riel Foundation to build an integrated 28-unit complex that will provide safe and affordable housing for families and adults with mental illnesses,
• establishing a northern mobile crisis team to assist youth between the ages of 12 and 17 who are experiencing a mental health crisis,
• supporting a new Crisis Stabilization Unit in Steinbach, an eight-bed unit providing
  short-term care for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, and
• construction of a $14.7-million, stand-alone mental health crisis response centre located at Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

Rondeau also recognized Sept. 30 to Oct. 6 as Mental Illness Awareness Week, an annual national public education campaign designed to make Canadians more aware of the realities of mental illness.
The Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg Region works to promote mental health and help people navigate mental health services, as well as providing direct services.  Ongoing funding for CMHAW is provided by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the United Way and the province.

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The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Government of Manitoba and the Canadian Mental Health Association Winnipeg Region.

The province will help Winnipeg’s Sara Riel Foundation build an integrated 28-unit complex that will provide safe and affordable housing for families and adults with mental illnesses, Premier Greg Selinger announced today. Left To Right: Maurice Therrien, Chair, Sara Riel Inc., Sonny Renaud, Chair, Sara Riel Foundation, Kerri Irvin Ross, Minister of Housing and Community Development, Sister Jean Ell, founder of Sara Riel and Premier Greg Selinger

 March 2, 2012

NEW WINNIPEG COMPLEX WILL PROVIDE SAFE, AFFORDABLE, SUPPORTIVE HOMES FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: SELINGER

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Province's Promised Delivery of 1,500 Affordable Housing Units Approaching 1,000 Units

The province will help Winnipeg’s Sara Riel Foundation build an integrated 28-unit complex that will provide safe and affordable housing for families and adults with mental illnesses, Premier Greg Selinger announced today.
“As a government, we recognize one of the greatest needs of people with a mental illness is for secure and affordable housing with appropriate support,” said Selinger.  “This new complex will provide safe, non-profit housing for adults living with mental-health challenges, making a real difference in people’s lives.”
The complex, at 210 Kenny St. in St. Boniface, will incorporate mobility-enhanced features and include 16 one-bedroom units, seven two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units.  Fourteen of the 28 units will be classified as supportive housing.
The rent for 14 of the units will be available to tenants based on income.  Sara Riel Inc. will provide on-site services that support a tenant’s goal to achieve and maintain permanent housing.
The Sara Riel Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides assistance to Sara Riel Inc. (SRI) and other charitable works in Canada.  SRI was established by the Grey Nuns of Manitoba and is a sponsored work of the Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba.  Both organizations are served by a volunteer board of directors and help individuals with mental-health needs and their families.
The province is helping fund the new complex with $8.2 million from HOMEWorks!, Manitoba’s long‑term housing strategy.  Under this strategy, the Province of Manitoba and the Government of Canada continue to make significant investments in the development of social and affordable housing, said Selinger, adding the province has promised the delivery of 1,500 affordable housing units across Manitoba and is approaching commitments for 1,000 units.
HOMEWorks! supports ALL Aboard, Manitoba’s poverty reduction strategy, by increasing the supply of quality, affordable housing for low-income Manitobans.  More information about HOMEWorks! is available at www.gov.mb.ca/housing.
The premier also announced an additional $400,000 from Manitoba Health for mental-health support services at Sara Riel.
“Housing is a basic requirement for good physical and mental health,” said Selinger.  “Organizations like Sara Riel assist in meeting the needs of people with a mental illness and this funding will help provide services to those who may be vulnerable to homelessness.”
The funding supports the provincial mental-health strategic plan Rising to the Challenge, which identifies working with partners to improve access to safe, affordable housing and supports for people with mental-health issues as a key strategic action.
Today’s announcement supports the Winnipeg Housing and Homelessness Initiative (WHHI).  The initiative is a partnership established by the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg to address homelessness and revitalize Winnipeg’s older neighbourhoods.
From 2000 to 2012, the WHHI partners committed almost $185 million to repair, rehabilitate or construct more than 8,400 housing units, assisting those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  The WHHI is a single-window office for community organizations to access information on government-funded housing programs.  For more information, visit http://www.whhi.ca/.

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