March 4, 2024 | Ottawa, ON | Public Health Agency of Canada

This week is Black Mental Health Week, a time to amplify Black voices and convey consciousness to the impression of anti-Black racism on the psychological well being of Black communities.

Black folks residing in Canada proceed to expertise vital social and financial inequities which have damaging impacts on their well being. In explicit, anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination are key drivers of well being and social inequities.

This yr’s theme of Growth and Reflection, which ties into the UN’s International Decade for People of African Descent, supplies a second to mirror on these challenges and work in the direction of constructing a extra equitable society that leaves nobody behind.

The Government of Canada is dedicated to enhancing entry to culturally secure and knowledgeable psychological well being companies. To accomplish that, we’re supporting initiatives and tasks which can be designed by Black communities for Black communities.

Since 2018, we now have invested in 23 tasks by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians (MHBC) Fund. These tasks help Black Canadians to develop culturally centered information, capability and applications to enhance the psychological well being of Black folks residing in Canada. These evidence-based tasks are led by, or developed in shut collaboration with Black Canadian neighborhood teams, not-for-profit organizations, and researchers.

Through the MHBC Fund, we now have additionally funded TAIBU Community Health Centre’s Black Wellness Network website and ACT Now! conference. The web site supplies centralized info and assets associated to the psychological well being of Black communities in Canada. The convention is a nationwide dialogue in the direction of sustainable efforts in addressing Black psychological well being, well-being and systemic racism. The convention empowers contributors to use African-centered information and methods of engagement of their work setting.

In September 2023, we announced the Distress Line Equity Fund, which supplies entry to $8 million in federal funding to deal with gaps in fairness, range and inclusion inside Canada’s misery line sector. Distress traces are a significant a part of Canada’s public well being strategy to suicide prevention, and this program will assist guarantee misery traces and centres are ready to reply to the wants and expertise of everybody who calls, no matter their background, tradition or expertise. Several organizations have already acquired funding to tackle this vital work, which incorporates enhancing service to the Black neighborhood and offering anti-racism coaching to responders, amongst different efforts.

Investing and dealing alongside Black neighborhood leaders and organizations is vital to paving the best way for higher well being outcomes for various Black communities in Canada. We can all work collectively to deal with all types of anti-Black racism and enhance the well being, social and financial well-being of Black folks in Canada.

The Honourable Ya’ara Saks, P.C., M.P.