Why raising awareness about mental health is important to Charlottetown Islanders

The Charlottetown Islanders hockey team and the Canadian Mental Health Association are teaming up to raise awareness about the importance of mental health.

The team is hosting a special home game at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown Thursday night in partnership with the CMHA, to help educate people about mental health supports and introduce Talk Today, a program the team has been involved in over the past year.

The program providesplayers with mental health supports and raises awareness about mental health issues and suicide prevention.

Amanda Brazil, director of programs and policy for the CMHA on P.E.I., said the goal of the program is to provide Islander players many whoare young and away from home for the first time with any kind of support they need.

"There's all sorts of things that they might need help with," Brazil said. "A lot of them are still in school and they're doing school in their off hours and they're training and they're on the road.

"Without all of those pressures, that age can be difficult for kids so it's just making sure they know that there's a place they can reach out to if they need any extra support."

Players become peer leaders

Islanders head coachJim Hulton said the program has given players a forum to talk aboutmental health and understand how to be a support to each other and others in the community.

"I think what it's done is probably allow them to be, hopefully,peer leaders in their social circles, whether it be at their schools or their communities when they go back home," Hulton said. "I think it just makes them feel a little more confident in how they can help their friends and also encourages them if they're having some issues to reach out."

Hulton said the program has also helped team staff learn how to help players manage their mental health as they try to balance their schedules, pressures of the game and schooling. He saidhaving the CMHA there to help has been a great resource.

"To have the tools and resources at their fingertips to be able to deal with sometimes when maybe the pile gets too high, I think is wonderful for us," he said.

Hultonsaid he plans to continue the program and the team's partnership with the CMHAfor many seasons to come.

Game Day

During the Islanders game Thursdaynight, the team willplay promotional videos featuring some of the players talking about mental health and the program.

Brazil said she hopes when fans see their hometown heroes joining the conversation about mental health, it will encourage others to start talking, too.

"If they're talking about it, it makes it easier for others," Brazil said.

She said there will also bestaff from CMHA on site throughout the game to answer questions from fans.

Game time is 7 p.m.

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