Canadian Mental Health Association

About

Making mental health matter in our community by promoting mental health and supporting the resilience and recovery of people affected by mental illness.

Story

Canadian Mental Health Association – Edmonton Region (CMHA Edmonton) is a non-profit volunteer agency. It functions as a community centre promoting mental health. It works in partnership with other community agencies to educate about mental health and illness, to advocate for better conditions in the community, and to help people build strong supports for community life.

This is accomplished through social action, public education, direct service programs, housing, and other special agency projects. The agency’s operations are governed by the Mental Health Act, the Health Information Act, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act, the Companies Act, the Protections of Persons in Care Act, and the Personal Information Protection Act.

In 1918, Dr. Clarence Hincks, who suffered from mental illness most of his life, founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene in Canada. The goals of the Committee were to fight mental illness and promote mental health. In 1950, the Committee’s name was changed to the Canadian Mental Health Association. In 1954, the Edmonton Mental Health Association – later the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta North Central Region (CMHA-ANCR) – was formed. Its purposes were to provide public education, act as a clearinghouse for information, cooperate with the Provincial Department of Health on services for patients discharged from mental hospitals, and promote research and training in the field of mental health.

In 2003, CMHA-ANCR changed it’s name to CMHA Edmonton Region as part of a move by the Alberta Division to make more clear to the public the area the organization serves.

Today, CMHA Edmonton programs are supported in part by Federal, Provincial, and Municipal governments, and by the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region. The agency also receives private donations and carries out a variety of fund development activities and projects.

CMHA Edmonton is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and offers a wide range of programs including Community Rehabilitation Outreach Services, Day Programs, Consumer Advocacy Training, Community Education, and Housing. True to its historical roots, the agency and all of its programs concerns themselves with promotion of mental health and increasing the public’s awareness of mental illness. Social advocacy and consumer participation continue to be priorities.

Mission

Mission Statement

Building healthy and resilient communities by providing mental health services, education, resources and crisis intervention.


Vision Statement

Mentally healthy people in caring communities.

Organizational Values

We are guided by the following values:

Social justice
Individual and collective responsibility
Self-determination
Community integration
Integrity
Innovation
Excellence
Strength through diversity
Collaboration
Open communication

Products

Community Education
Social Recreation
Family Support
Housing
Workshops