A novel idea to fight stigma in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking communities

For Immediate Release - May 28, 2007 (TORONTO) - The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in partnership with COSTI Immigrant Services is proud to launch a new resource to help Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Canadians understand issues surrounding addiction and mental illness at an event on May 31, 2007, at 33 Russell St, Toronto from 6-8 pm.

Five photonovellas address a range of topics, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, drugs, alcohol and gambling. The photonovellas have been translated and culturally interpreted to better serve these communities and will be available through COSTI Immigrant Services and community agencies serving Spanish and Portuguese-speaking communities.

“Addiction and mental health issues are not well addressed in many communities and this is partly due to the lack of available information,” said Akwatu Khenti, Director of International Health at CAMH. “That’s why we decided to make this resource available - it fills the gap in a much-needed area of health promotion.”

“Many newcomers to Canada face linguistic and cultural barriers and do not know where to turn to for support,” said Vince Pietropaolo, General Manager of COSTI. “We are excited to partner with CAMH in this important initiative that will provide an accessible tool to Canadian immigrants.”

Funding for this project was provided by the Ontario Region Settlement branch of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

WHEN: May 31, 2007 from 6-8pm.

WHERE: CAMH 33 Russell St., Toronto, Meeting Centre, Room 2029

WHAT: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) launches new resource for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Canadians

WHO: Dr. Jose Silveira, Portuguese Mental Health and Addiction Services, University Health Network and Dr. Carolina Vidal, Northeast Mental Health Centre will present “Psycho-social risk factors for addiction and mental health problems in Latin Americans”

Media: For more information of to attend please contact, Michael Torres, Media Relations, CAMH at (416) 595 6015

Vince Pietropaolo, General Manager, COSTI at (416) 244 7714

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The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is one of the largest addiction and mental health organizations in North America and Canada's leading mental health and addiction teaching hospital. CAMH is a Pan American Health Organization and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto. CAMH combines clinical care, research, policy, education and health promotion to transform the lives of people impacted by mental health and addiction issues.

COSTI Immigrant Services is a community-based multicultural agency providing employment, educational, and social services to new Canadians and individuals in need of assistance. Since 1952, COSTI has been helping those in need, assisting newcomer professionals and tradespersons and all individuals looking for employment, providing hope to refugee families, protecting women and children, strengthening families, combating racism and discrimination, and assisting all those who function at a disadvantage in society. With a staff of over 200 people, speaking more than 60 languages, COSTI strives to ensure that all individuals, regardless of language, cultural, or financial barriers, are given the opportunity to use their existing skills, learn new ones, and participate in all aspects of Canadian life. COSTI presently provides support to over 49,000 individuals annually.