Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is an annual public education campaign designed to help open the eyes of citizens to the reality of mental illness. The week was established in 1992 by the Canadian Psychiatric Association and is now coordinated by the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) in cooperation with all its member organizations and many other supporters across Canada.

Health Achieve has long been one of the largest and most respected health care events in North America – the preeminent gathering place for health care and business leaders. This year marks their 90th anniversary and to celebrate they are bringing together thousands of the best and brightest minds in health care to Learn, Share and Evolve. Representing some of the foremost thought-leaders in the field of health, NSB will be sending a great mix of speakers to this years event including:

Mark Henick is one of Canada’s most acclaimed mental health advocates. Informed by his direct experience with the mental health care system as a teen, Mark has authored commentaries on issues relating to mental health for major media outlets across Canada and the U.S. His talk at TEDx Talk ‘Why we Choose Suicide‘ had captured over a half million views, making it the most viewed Talk of the 2013 Toronto conference.

An award-winning journalist and author, Ann Dowsett Johnston is well respected for her expertise in higher education, alcohol addiction and public policy relating to both.

Rona Maynard -Mental Health Advocate and former Editor-in-Chief of Chatelaine Magazine- tells stories that inspire courage, build community and kick-start life-changing conversations. Rona became a mentor and friend to millions of Canadian women who recognized their most intimate challenges and dreams reflected in her stories.

Recently, after speaking at a college about PostSecret, a young man walked up to the stage, handed me a postcard and asked me to read it. “In high school I was bullied. A year later he died! I never got to forgive him.”
Bullying is complicated and touches too many lives. I have read secrets from girls expressing how malicious gossip can sometimes hurt more than physical abuse. Other secrets from men, both young and old, have described how bullying caused violent acts misdirected at themselves and sometimes at innocent coworkers or classmates.