In a Bell Let's Talk Mental Health Awareness Day interview, digital marketing leader Tod Maffin shares his personal battle with depression and alcohol addiction and critiques Canada's federal mental health strategy. He argues that despite the government's $110 million five‑year commitment to the Mental Health Commission, its recommendations—such as hiring more psychiatric nurses, expanding outreach to First Nations and youth, and increasing residential treatment beds—remain unimplemented. Maffin highlights a stark funding comparison, noting that the same amount spent on mental health has been allocated to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a problem that largely no longer exists in North America. He condemns the Harper government for prioritizing photo‑ops and studies over concrete solutions, calling the approach reprehensible.
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Continuing our look at mental health as a part of Bell's Let's Talk Mental Health Awareness Day, our next guest is a leading digital marketing expert, a podcasting pioneer, and radio commentator. He's known for giving rousing keynote speeches at international events, but while doing all of this, he's also coping with depression and fighting an addiction to alcohol. Every day is a challenge, but Tod Maffin has discovered many strategies to keep him going. Here with his story and some advice is Tod Maffin, president of Engage Q Digital. He joins us today from Ottawa. Thanks for making time for us, Tod. No problem, thanks, Howard. What are some of the fixes that you think are, are possible and meaningful in the workplace that can help people avoid what happened to you?
There is one fix we need to do in this country, and that is to follow recommendations. You know, every time a new government comes into place, they put out a big press release, a big photo op, a mental health commission. Don't get me wrong, the federal government committed $110 million over 5 years to the Mental Health Commission, but where are the recommendations being implemented? We know what the problems are, Howard. We need more psychiatric nurses, we need more outreach to First Nations and youth, we need more beds in residential treatment centres, and yet the recommendations don't get followed, and every new government or every cycle or so, every time there's a need for a new photo op, we do the same studies. These studies are killing people because we're spending our money pushing paper around and not solving the solutions of these recommendations. And I have to say, I mean, I have no problem with the money. $110 million over 5 years for this mental health commission is a lot of money. But let's put that in perspective. The Canadian government has spent since 1998 $110 million on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. We haven't had a single case of polio in 10 years in North America, Europe, Australia, 34 Asian countries including China. Not a single case. In fact, in this year alone, in 2013, there's been one case in the world, just a week ago in Karachi, Pakistan, a 14-month-old girl with polio. One case in the world, and we're spending $110 million on the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to solve a problem that doesn't exist. We're putting the same amount of money toward that than we are in mental health in this country. It's reprehensible, and the Harper government should be ashamed of itself. We will leave it there, sir.
Many thanks for joining us today, Tod. Thank you, Howard. That's Tod Maffin. He's president of EngageQ Digital, and he joined us from Ottawa.
