Sergeant at Arms David Leslie opened this week’s meeting with our acknowledgement of the Treaty 7 peoples, while President Rick Erven called the meeting to order.
Michael Pierson and Manon Mitchell led the singing of O Canada, while Carmen Goss delivered the invocation.
President Rick thanked volunteers Jill Conroy, Shondell Sabad and Bob Junker.
Jennifer Lavier Jankovic welcomed our visiting District Governor Christine Rendell (RC Calgary East) and Cory Tretiak from the Rotary Club of Calgary West. Jennifer also welcomed this week’s guests and acknowledged the six members celebrating birthdays this week.
Did You Know that March is Rotary’s Water and Sanitation Month? Clean water is a fundamental right. There are 2.5 billion people in the world that lack access to improved sanitation and 748 million people that don’t have clean drinking water. Nearly 1400 children die each day from diseases caused by a lack of sanitation and unsafe water. When people have access to clean water, they live healthier and more productive lives.
A World Health Organization study in 2012 calculated that for every $1 invested in sanitation, there was a return of $5.50 in lower healthcare costs, higher productivity, and fewer premature deaths. United Nations have Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty and promote prosperity while protecting the environment. SDG 6 on water and sanitation encourages us to address universal access to drinking water and sanitation along with improved water management to protect ecosystems and build resiliency. Rotary members are committed to reaching the water and sanitation Sustainable Development Goals through projects like building wells, installing rainwater harvesting systems, and teaching community members how to maintain the new infrastructure.
During March, Rotary Water and Sanitation Month, Rotary is celebrating its commitment to creating healthier communities by supplying clean water and sanitation facilities to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Announcements:
President Rick announced the tragic loss of Julie Visser’s stepdaughter. Our thoughts go out to Julie and her family at this difficult time.
The dinner celebration of the Calgary Stampede presidents takes place on March 31st at the Calgary Golf and Country Club. There will be no Tuesday luncheon meeting at the Palliser Hotel that week.
RC Calgary Millennium is hosting its Blarney Beer & Bingo Night on March 14th. Visit the Rotary Club of Calgary Millennium website for details.
Bring your family and friends to our annual Ski and Stroll on March 14th. The $30.00 price for bus transportation includes hot chocolate and treats, but does not include lift tickets. Our 7:15 am departure will be from the Canadian Tire store at Richmond Road and Sarcee Trail, and the bus will return by 7:00 pm.
Therese Takacs introduced Louise Bradley, President and CEO of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. The mission of the MHCC is to meaningfully contribute to Canadians' wellness by providing world-class mental health courses. The MHCC courses offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) to people developing mental health problems or experiencing mental health crises.
Ms. Bradley delivered a thought-provoking presentation addressing the state of mental health in Canada, why everyone should care about it, and what we can all do about it. She described how the stigmatization of mental health problems and discrimination against people suffering through them are alive and well in Canada. She also highlighted the prevalence of mental health issues in Canada, noting that 6.7 million Canadians experience mental health issues at some point in their lives, as compared to 1.4 million Canadians with heart disease or 2.4 million Canadians with Type 2 diabetes. While mental health conversations are certainly more prevalent than in the past, actions still lag the discussions. It typically takes eighteen months to see a mental health specialist.
People do not consider mental illnesses as terminal conditions, but there are, on average, eleven suicides in Canada every day. There are probably many more, but medical professionals often do not recognize suicides and record other causes of death. Additionally, mental health issues underpin the opioid crisis. In these circumstances, eighteen-month wait times constitute real health risks.
One solution to this problem is Stepped Care 2.0. Adapted from a UK model, Stepped Care 2.0 aims to reduce the burden of mental illness on society through more efficient self-corrective systems of care offering the lowest level of intervention intensity warranted by the initial and ongoing assessments. Treatment intensity can be either stepped up or down depending on the level of client distress or need. Rapid access to required care is essential.
Mental health apps represent solutions to this problem; however, the MHCC has evaluated many mental health applications and found them wanting. The guidance provided in many popular mental health apps does more harm than good. Despite this, E-mental health can deliver timely, effective mental health services through apps and other technologies. Alongside face-to-face mental health support, e-mental health can provide the right care solutions when and where people need it. E-mental health offers shorter wait times, quick access in rural and remote areas and inner cities, availability in many languages, cost-effective delivery, and services tailored to specific habits and genetic profiles.
Additionally, the MHCC offers a wide array of mental health toolkits and training. Its Roots of Hope project develops community-led initiatives that aim to reduce the impacts of suicide within communities across Canada. The project builds upon community expertise to implement suicide prevention interventions tailored to the local context.
The prevalence of mental health issues should concern us all. In any given week, 500,000 Canadian workers call in sick because of mental health issues, and mental health is the leading cause of disability claims. In addition to workplace absenteeism, "presenteeism," low workplace productivity due to mental health issues, is an equally costly problem. Estimates place the cost of presenteeism at $51 billion per year and growing exponentially. Alberta workers in the oil and farming sectors, and survivors of the Fort McMurray wildfires, experience increasing mental health issues each year.
The MHCC promotes programs known to be effective in treating mental illness. These include The Working Mind First Responders(TWMFR), formerly known as Road to Mental Readiness, an education-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in a first-responder setting. This training program improves short-term performance and long-term mental health outcomes, reduces barriers to care, and provides the tools and resources required to manage and support employees who may be experiencing a mental illness.
After a lively question and answer session, Dr. Wally Temple thanked our speaker for her information-packed presentation.
COG Staff - March 3rd, 2020
Editor
Craig Henderson
Photography
Ralph Lundberg
Rotary Club of Calgary - Chartered April 1914 as Club #949
Suite 305, 105-12 Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1A1
