During National Mental Illness Awareness Week (September 30 to October 6), more than 300 experts will gather to address some of the issues regarding mental health and health care system at the Quatrième colloque interétablissements en psychiatrie et en santé mentale (Fourth Inter-Hospital Colloquium in Psychiatry and Mental Health). A pre-colloquium public debate on Mental Health and Homelessness, will also be held. Renowned Québec artist, Dan Bigras will participate.

“According to recent Statistics Canada data, more than 10,000 people in Canada are homeless on any given night,” says Jean Bernard Trudeau, MD, Douglas director of Professional and Hospital Services and president of the colloquium. “These individuals may be more likely to experience compromised mental health and difficulties accessing health services. In addition, mental health issues can contribute to or worsen with continued homelessness. Our debate, will also feature the Director of the Old Brewery Mission, James Hughes and psychiatrist Pierre Migneault, who will bring some of these issues to light. The debate will be moderated by Mental Health Community Organizer Jean Gagné.”

The Debate

The public debate, Itinérance et santé mentale: liberté ou négligence ? will be held at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute on Wednesday, October 3 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. 6875 LaSalle Blvd. Verdun. For more information regarding the debate, please go to www.douglas.qc.ca (The debate will be in French only)

The Symposium

“This symposium provides the opportunity for mental healthcare professionals to share their practices, knowledge, and new successful strategies,” says Trudeau. The Inter-Hospital Symposium will promote learning, reflection, and knowledge transfer in the field of mental health through various workshops, communications, forums and posters. The honourable Michael Kirby, president of the Canadian Commission on Mental Health, will also deliver the plenary presentation on October 4 at 9:15 a.m. The conference is organized by the Douglas, the Hôpital Louis-H.-Lafontaine and the Centre Hospitalier Robert-Giffard, Institut universitaire en santé mentale.

The Quatrième colloque interétablissements en psychiatrie et santé mentale will be held at the Delta Hotel, 475 President Kennedy on October 4 to 5.