'“Our universal health-care system is a point of pride for Canadians,” says Dr. Patrick Smith, national CEO, CMHA. “But the reality is, we don’t have a universal health-care system, but a universal medical system that doesn’t guarantee access to some of the most basic mental health services and supports.”

Eighty-five per cent of Canadians say mental health services are among the most underfunded services in our health-care system—and the majority agree (86%) that the Government of Canada should fund mental health at the same level as physical health.

Despite recent unprecedented mental health funding commitments made by the federal government, over 1.6 million Canadians report unmet mental health care needs each year.'

[Courtesy of https://cmha.ca/ending-health-care-disparity-canada

I created this petition because I know everyone is affected by mental health in Canada. Even though Canada is known for it's universal health-care system, there isn't accessible mental health services for all. In fact, mental health is privatized and prioritizes the wealthy.

I want to urge our government and Justin Treadau to work with provinces to ensure that mental health is equally as important as physical health and deserves to be accessible to all Canadians through our universal healthcare system.

Investing in mental health in our health-care system would not only save and benefit people's lives and well-being, but it will also create sustainable and profound change in our society and nation as a whole.

Please sign and share this petition with as many people as you know. It could end up being the change we're all seeking for the beginning of accessible mental health services for Canadians.