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<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">Hello everyone,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">CMHA Ottawa is seeking your help to promote our
</span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://erasethedifference.ca/"><i><span style="font-size:11.0pt">Erase the Difference</span></i></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"> campaign, which raises awareness about the critical state of services
and funding in the mental health and addictions sector. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">For decades, mental health and addictions services in communities throughout Ontario have been chronically underfunded compared to other parts of the health system. Wait times are up. Programs have
been cut. People are falling through the cracks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">Ontario currently devotes $3.5 billion of a total $54-billion health budget to mental health and addictions. This means that the mental health and addictions share of the health budget is 6.5 per
cent. In 1979, it was 11.3 per cent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">But we’re on the cusp of something big. For the first time in a long time, there’s widespread acceptance about the urgent need for quality mental health and addiction services. The federal government
is providing an unprecedented amount of money for mental health and addictions services. And with the provincial election coming this spring, Ontario’s three main political parties all believe it’s a key issue.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="Default"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">Now is the time for all Ontarians who have been touched by mental health or addictions issues to make their voice heard. Join us in letting provincial election candidates know that it’s time
to #erasethedifference and fund mental health and addictions care the same as physical health care<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="Default"><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="Default"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"HelveticaNeueLT Std Blk",sans-serif">The
</span><span lang="EN-CA"><a href="https://erasethedifference.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Erase-the-Difference-Partner-Toolkit-FINAL.pdf"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"HelveticaNeueLT Std Blk",sans-serif">attached toolkit
</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"HelveticaNeueLT Std Blk",sans-serif">contains digital communications material that you can post to your website and social media feeds to help us with our campaign</span><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">.
</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:11.0pt">Please feel free to share with your network.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Thank you,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"AR BERKLEY";color:#1F4E79;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Linda O’Neil, B. Journalism<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005A58;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Linda O’Neil<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005A58;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Public Education Consultant<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="FR-CA" style="color:#1F497D">Conseillère en </span>
</i><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005A58">é</span><i><span lang="FR-CA" style="color:#1F497D">ducation communautaire<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005A58;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#729A00;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch
<br>
Association canadienne pour la santé mentale, Section d'Ottawa <br>
301-1355 rue Bank Street, Ottawa, ON K1H 8K7 <br>
Tel: 613-737-7791 Ext. 135 Fax: 613-737-7644</span><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#729A00;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"> Cell: 613-552-4505</span><b><span lang="FR-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005A58;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">Email:
</span><a href="mailto:loneil@cmhaottawa.ca"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">loneil@cmhaottawa.ca</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">
Website: </span><a href="http://ottawa.cmha.ca/"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">ottawa.cmha.ca</span></a><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA">
<span lang="EN-CA"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-CA"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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