Welcome to Episode 71 of the Gent’s Talk podcast, where we sat down with philanthropist Sandi Treliving. She is the founding member of Womenmind and is also on the Board of Directors for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) Foundation. We talked about access to care for those struggling with mental health issues and the need for more evidence-based information regarding mental health.
Mental Health
A world where “mental health is health,” can only be achieved with more ambassadors and advocates supporting the cause. Sandi Treliving is a prime example of that. “The more we talk about mental health, the better we can support ourselves, others, and families living with mental illnesses.” Sandi cross-referenced the “war on cancer” in the ‘70s/’80s because everyone was on board, and cancer research was front of mind. Because of such efforts, the effects were astronomical. She believes that the same mindset needs to be applied to mental health because we’ve been in a mental health crisis since before the pandemic, and it’s only grown exponentially. According to Sandi, what mental health needs is funding for research.
“…now we’re in a mental illness situation, vs a mental health situation.”
Sandi Treliving
Treliving was excited to announce that over 13 Youth Wellness Hubs in Ontario are supported by CAMH. She also mentioned how seeing more youth reaching out for help is promising. “If we can get to someone early, we can [hopefully] avoid full mental illness.” She believes the healthcare system was built incorrectly and needs to be changed. Treliving reminisced about a time when doctors used to come to the house for preventative medicine, versus now, where we primarily only use doctors after the fact. Sandi urges normalizing the brain as an organ that can get sick. “Just because someone’s brain may be suffering doesn’t mean they’ll be ill for life.”
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See Also: Gent’s Talk Ep. 69: A sit-down w/ country artist, Mitchell Tenpenny
CAMH
CAMH is the largest mental health hospital in Canada. They are recognized as one of the best research facilities worldwide. They provide care to 30,000+ patients in need every year. By reducing the stigma, educating the public, and creating awareness, they plan to create a better future for anyone struggling with mental illness and addiction. Their mission is to help shape a world where mental illness is seen in the same light as every other illness, and all patients receive the care they need and deserve.
Womenmind
Womenmind is a community of philanthropists committed to increasing awareness about girls’ and women’s mental health. They intend to reduce the gender gap in mental health by recruiting and advancing female scientists. Womenmind is supporting ground-breaking discoveries in mental health. They are fixing a broken system that uses studies on men for the treatment of women. Their mission is to change attitudes and shape a world where people with mental illness receive the care they need and deserve.
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Please tune into Episode 71 for the entire conversation with Sandi Treliving. If you are in an emergency, in crisis or need someone to talk to, there is a list of resources available for areas in and around Toronto at camh.ca.
About Gent’s Talk
Bulova Canada presents Episode 71 of Gent’s Talk, available for streaming on Youtube, Spotify, Goodpods, iHeartRadio, Apple and Google Podcasts! It is filmed at StartWell Studios in Toronto. You can now catch Season 1-4 on all Air Canada flights! Your continued support throughout this journey is appreciated. Thank you!
