CMHA-YT Letter to Party Leaders 2025

Oct 21, 2025

To: Party Leaders and Candidates in the 2025 Yukon Territorial Election

Subject: Making Mental Health a Priority for All Yukoners

Dear Party Leaders,
The Canadian Mental Health Association, Yukon Division (CMHA Yukon), works every day to support the mental health and well-being of people across our Territory. As Yukoners head to the polls, we ask that your party make mental health a top priority in your platform and commitments for the next government.
Good mental health is essential to strong, thriving communities. Across the Yukon, people continue to face challenges accessing timely, affordable, and culturally safe mental health care — especially in smaller and rural communities. Many are waiting too long for counselling or crisis support, and community organizations are stretched thin meeting the growing need.
We believe the next government can make a real difference by working with community partners and investing in a system that meets people where they are. CMHA Yukon is calling for action in these key areas:

• Invest in local Support Line services to ensure 24/7 crisis and listening support is available to everyone, everywhere in the Territory.
• Support peer-led and community-based programs as part of the full spectrum of mental health care.
• Make community mental health a priority in the new Yukon Health Authority’s planning and funding decisions.
• Expand funding for free counselling services so that cost never stands between someone and the help they need.
• Partner with community organizations to retrofit and expand long-term supportive housing for people living with mental illness.
• Push the federal government to extend the Youth Mental Health Fund to the Yukon, and increase investment in youth wellness initiatives locally.
• Fund professional development initiatives across the NGO sector to build cultural safety for First Nations, BIPOC, immigrant, and queer communities, recognizing that long-term mental wellness is shaped by experiences in housing, health care, education, employment, and social services.
• Include mental health in emergency preparedness and climate resilience planning.
• Include the community sector in the implementation of the Community Wellness Plans to ensure coordinated and effective action.

We’ve also shared a list of questions that Yukoners can ask during the campaign to help highlight these important issues. We invite your party to review them and share your commitments with us and with the community.
Mental health is everyone’s business. Together, we can build a Yukon where everyone has access to the right supports, at the right time, close to home.

Thank you for your leadership and for your commitment to the well-being of all Yukoners.

Sincerely,

Executive Leadership Canadian Mental Health Association – Yukon