Atlantic forum in P.E.I. to call for action

An Atlanticwide forum this summer in Charlottetown will call on everyone to take action on child and youth mental health.

The Atlantic Summer Institute on Healthy and Safe Communities (ASI) is building on a formal call to action on child and youth mental health, developed as a result of the 2017 ASI event.

The 2018 forum will bring together community leaders, policy makers, youth, researchers, educators and business professionals Aug. 20-22 at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Participants will take steps toward investing in social and economic structures that will decrease barriers and improve supports, making it possible for children and youth to reach their full potential.

One in five Canadians has mental illness, but mental health is an essential resource for everyone. The forum’s theme, “Let’s Act Together! Developing a whole society approach to promoting child and youth mental health,” highlights the collective responsibility of providing a foundation of good mental health for children and youth, which will have longterm benefits as those children age.

“Investments in mental health promotion need to be appreciated for the benefits they bring to society as a whole,” said Patsy Beattie-Huggan, coordinator of the ASI forum.

“This is essential for Atlantic Canada, as health and well-being impact the overall health, prosperity and sustainability of our communities.

Working together to promote mental health requires collaboration between government, civil society, philanthropic organizations and the business world, so ASI is bringing these groups together this summer to act.”

The forum will feature keynote speaker Dr. Trevor Hancock, one of the founders of the global Healthy Cities and Communities movement and a former professor and senior scholar at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria.

He will deliver a keynote presentation entitled “Creating a Mentally Healthy Society: Igniting our Collective Wisdom and Responsibilities.” The forum will also feature a variety of panel and roundtable discussions as well as various workshops.

Registration is now open for the forum. Early bird rates are available until June 30. To register, visit www.asi-iea.ca.