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Editor's Message
Visions In this journal, we hope to create a place where the many perspectives on mental health issues can be heard. The Canadian Mental Health Association is grateful to the Ministry of Health, who has assisted in underwriting the production of this journal. The Canadian Mental Health Association invites readers’ comments and concerns regarding the articles and opinions in this journal. Please send your letter, including your name, address and phone number to: The opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division or its Branch offices. Editorial Board 
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No help available: When mental illness affects sponsored immigrant families Dena Ellery When mental illness occurs unexpectedly within a family whose members include sponsored immigrants, family relationships and financial situations can reach crisis proportions. In addition to the language and cultural differences which represents immigrants' most significant barrier to accessing any kind of health or other service in Canada, there are also government legislations which prevent people from getting the help they need if they develop a mental illness. Karen Rai works with the South Asian community as a mental health worker at the Surrey-Delta Immigrant Services Society. She says that when a family or individual sponsors a relative to come to Canada, they are vouching for their extended family for ten years. In other words, they are ensuring that their family member(s) will not be a burden or financial strain on Canadian services for their first ten years of residency here. If a new immigrant to Canada develops a mental illness at any point of their first ten years in Canada, they can not use any income assistance or specialized health care services other than medical services and the use of mental health centres or mental health teams. New immigrants are not allowed to access programs such as Canada Pension Plan, BC Benefits or specialized health services such as extended care. As a result of these constraints, families whose sponsored relatives become ill must bear the financial and caregiving load which comes with the mental illness. Rai says families she works with who face this kind of situation are dealing with significant financial and emotional stress as ill family members become increasingly dependent on their family for support. Added to this are stigmas within many cultural traditions which force people with mental illness to be "hidden" under the blanket of their family, and the illness not at all talked about outside the family. In some families Rai works with, a member of the sponsoring family may become ill. This is particularly difficult, Rai says, if it's a man who becomes ill. "If you're a man, you have a dream and it's not being fulfilled, you feel you're not successful," she says. Often, being able to sponsor family members to Canada means the financial expectation of supporting them as may be necessary. When the sponsor becomes ill, financial concerns become a problem, depending on the new family members' dependence on the sponsor. "CPP or BC Benefits is not enough to live on," says Rai, especially if a sponsor is trying or expected to support a family.
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