A lack of territorial funding is the reason no events were planned for Mental Health Week, says Dudley Morgan, the local chair of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

Morgan said this week the Yukon branch of the association is the only territory that does not receive funding from its local government, unlike branches in provinces and other territories.

'I think in the last 18 years, all we've ever gotten from them is like $495 or something,' said Morgan. 'And that was eight or 10 years ago.'

But Pat Living, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Services, says the reason the association hasn't received any money is because it hasn't applied.

'The only application we've ever gotten from them was in 2001,' said Living.

When the government contacted the group for additional information, she added, nothing was received.

She said what was needed to process the request was a work plan and a list of goals, but this was never submitted.

But Morgan maintains Living's statements are not accurate.

'Over the years, we have submitted a number of proposals and met with a number of senior civil servants.'

Morgan said the only money that was ever offered from the government in recent years was $300, which the association never accepted.

'The offer was an insult.'

The local branch of the CMHA has about 10 volunteers who advocate education and public awareness of mental health issues.

However, Morgan said the organization would like to do more than advocacy work. The local group would like to set up a 24-hour crisis centre, which the Yukon does not have.

But Living said the government does not 'beat through the bushes' looking to give groups money.

The Second Opinion Society is the only drop-in crisis counselling centre in Whitehorse, but its hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And April Lies, the society's co-ordinator, said the amount of counselling it's able to offer does not meet the demand.

'We are only a staff of two people,' said Lies, who added that on any given day, 10 people might come in for counselling.

'It's really taxing. I'm not just co-ordinator but proposal writer, counsellor, everything.'

The society is set up to be a self-help organization. It offers a variety of learning material to people looking for information about their illness. The centre also does some crisis counselling on a limited basis, but Lies said it would like to offer more.

Second Opinion gets approximately $90,000 in core funding from the territorial government to operate its services, but ideally, Lies would like additional funding to offer a 24-hour crisis help-line or drop-in centre.

A crisis can be anything from contemplating suicide or feeling overwhelmed. There has not been help-line in the Yukon for many years.

However, Lies said an all-hour drop-in centre would give people a safe place to go when in crisis.

'Often times, people might recognize something is wrong. Either they are really depressed or have extra energy. But if it is a weekend or evening, the only place they can go is to the hospital or RCMP,' said Lies, adding a hospital can be a pretty intimidating place for people.

She said that although her centre offers limited drop-in hours, the society does not advertise its services 'because we are already overworked. It's frustrating.'

Second Opinion recently received some funding from the United Way in the Yukon, which it will use to set up a limited after-hours crisis line.

People in need of help will be able to page a trained volunteer, starting in September. But this service will only be offered on a six-month trial period.

Around-the-clock counselling is not the only service that lags in the territory.

There is currently no facility in the Yukon designated to treat mental health patients. If a person has a problem, he or she may be admitted to Whitehorse General Hospital. However, there are only two mental health nurses at the hospital, who have to work seven days a week to meet demand.

There is no specific wing in the hospital to treat mental health patients, noted Val Pike, the hospital's spokeswoman. This means they have to be placed with general patients.

'We only have 49 beds,' said Pike, adding there are a significant number of hospital patients who require mental health services.

Morgan said mental health services are a serious issue in the Yukon.

'In the territory here, unless they can diagnosis you with a full-blown mental illness, then you won't get help,' said Morgan.

If a person's illness cannot be easily categorized by Yukon doctors, there is a chance the person might be back out on the streets, he added.

'That's when they might end up in jail,' he said.

He was referring to an incident last month where a man's psychiatric condition was made worse when he spent six weeks in solitary confinement in 'the hole' at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre.

Morgan said it's often extreme cases that get public attention, but added mental illness encompasses a variety of ailments that include depression and anxiety orders.

'One in five Canadians are affected by a serious mental illness,' said Morgan. 'Men, women and children are all affected.'

Mental Health Week started Monday.