By Marcie Klein, Manager, Mental Health Support Services

1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime, and the remaining four will know someone who will. On Sunday, October 5th, Ometz staff and clients will join the more than 1000 others who will be walking to create awareness and reduce stigma around mental illness and its’ enormous impact, both on those who live with it and those who support them.

Ometz is a founding member of the organizing committee for Montreal Walks for Mental Health, a committee that was started in 2009 and has now become a fully developed foundation whose mission is to increase public awareness about mental health, stigma, and discrimination towards people who struggle with mental illness every day. The mission of the Montreal Walks for Mental Health Foundation is to organize and grow this annual walk more each year and to support organizations, like Ometz, who provide much needed mental health support services and promote recovery in the community.

Over the last several years Canada and more specifically the Mental Health Commission of Canada has supported the goal of recovery for those living with mental illness. Recovery does not necessarily mean cure, but rather focuses on people recovering a meaningful life while making the most of their strengths and capacities.

At Ometz, adults living with mental illness are offered a number of services designed to help them achieve their individual goals for recovery in the areas of supported independent living, day to day coping strategies, returning to employment and strategies to help them feel less isolated and more connected to community. Ometz currently assists over 130 adults with mental illness.

For more information on Montreal Walks for Mental Health 2014, to register as a walker, or to make a donation, click here. We hope to see you in large numbers on October 5th!