THE CANADIAN ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS AND MENTAL HEALTH PRESENTS ITS 2017 9 AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS PRESENTED BY: Campaign Overview
The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) educates Canadians to end the stigma associated with mental illness. The education and national awareness campaigns that CAMIMH hosts provide avenues for Canadians to share their stories in a national conversation, strengthening the mental health voice in Canada. Because of CAMIMH s large national profile, we are able to give our sponsors great national visibility in all of our promotional materials all year long. Established in 1998, CAMIMH is an alliance of Canada s leading mental health care and service organizations, representing health care providers as well as persons and families living with mental health issues. CAMIMH s strength is that it brings together an incredibly wide array of the diverse Canadian mental health community. It is uniquely placed to speak for a broad range of mental health stakeholders in Canada. Our mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national health agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support. Through its two campaigns, CAMIMH is striving to provide better mental health services for millions of Canadians. Their goal of increasing access to high quality mental health services is commendable and it will improve quality of life for people across the country." Minister of Status of Women, Patty Hajdu Champion of Mental Health Award Winner 2016.
CAMIMH S CAMPAIGNS The Champions of Mental Health is one of Canada s premiere mental health campaigns. Each year, this national campaign recognizes exceptional Canadians who have made outstanding contributions to the field of mental health in Canada. The awards gala is accompanied by a national media and public awareness campaign with an acute advocacy focus. The growing body of Champions alumni represents some of the best advocates for mental health in Canada. Through a national nomination process, CAMIMH s multi-disciplinary network of mental health experts grows. This impressive scope of nominees provides CAMIMH with a unique position to spread the conversation about mental illness into every region across Canada. This ever broadening network not only engages more mental health experts, but also demonstrates to Canadians the value of open discussion as a means to reducing stigma. CAMIMH attempts to honour a diverse group of Champions each year in the following categories: Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award for Youth: Any Canadian 21 and younger who has shown leadership in his or her community in promoting mental health and or mental illness awareness, or any organizations dedicated to providing services for youth. Media: Any media personality or outlet who has contributed to public awareness of mental health or mental illness awareness. Workplace Mental Health: Any employer or employee who has contributed to creating a mentally healthy workplace for staff. Community Organization: Any organization that has provided great public service to community members experiencing mental illness. Community Individual: Any person, who through personal commitment has increased awareness about mental illness or reduced stigma in his or her community. Parliamentarian: Any provincial or federal Parliamentarian who has advanced the mental health agenda in Canada. Researcher or Clinician: Anyone who through their work as a researcher or clinician has advanced the mental health agenda in Canada. From Left to Right: Minister Carolyn Bennett: Minister of Indigenous Affairs, The Honorable Sharon Johnston, and Louise Bradley: President of the Mental Health Commission of Canada This campaign gives our sponsors national coverage of their company at the event and in all the communication materials leading up to and following the event. We also give our sponsors the opportunity to present the awards at the ceremony which is filmed and broadcasted on national T.V. networks. Sponsors also get to meet with many parliamentarians and other dignitaries.
CAMIMH S CAMPAIGNS Mental Illness Awareness Week is a national public awareness and advocacy campaign held throughout the first week of October. Leading up to Mental Illness Awareness Week, CAMIMH selects individuals (referred to as Faces) who are living in recovery from mental illness. These individuals represent the Alliance and act as spokespeople for all Canadians living with mental illness. CAMIMH s Faces put a name and a face to various mental illnesses and show Canadians that with the right diagnosis, treatment, and support, they can live productive and fulfilling lives. In preparation for Mental Illness Awareness Week, CAMIMH works hard to produce a PSA video of the group of Faces and creates profile videos of each individual Face. These videos are then premiered on Parliament Hill in front of parliamentarians and our sponsors. The sponsor s logo is at the end of each profile video which reaches hundreds of thousands of Canadians each year. CAMIMH also produces posters and postcards of the Faces which lists all of our sponsors at the bottom of each material. These materials are free to the public and distributed to hundreds of corporate and non-for-profit organizations across Canada. This initiative is extremely successful and we distribute hundreds of thousands of materials each year. We guarantee that your logo will be highly visible. CAMIMH Members meet with Hon. Jane Philpott, Minister of Health.
A SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE PAST CHAMPIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH: Dr. HEATHER STEWART Research, 2016 Dr. Stuart works to describe and understand the experience of stigma from the inside from the perspective of people who have a mental illness and their families. In February 2012, Dr. Stuart became the first Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair. SENATOR DENISE BATTERS Parliamentarian, 2015 Senator Denise Batters has been an active supporter of mental health and suicide prevention. In the past five years, she has organized several charity events in honour of her late husband, former Member of Parliament Dave Batters, who suffered from anxiety and depression and died by suicide in 2009. MARY WALSH Media, 2014 An accomplished actress, comedian, and political satirist, Mary Walsh has been entertaining Canadians for more than 20 years. By sharing her own struggles, Walsh has reduced the stigma associated with mental illness and addiction and has raised awareness about the need for increased support for people living with mental illness. A SAMPLE OF SOME OF THE PAST FACES OF MENTAL ILLNESS: STÉPHANIE FONTAINE, 2016 This year marks the 15th anniversary of Stéphanie s recovery from bipolar disorder. Before receiving her diagnosis, she was hospitalized on two occasions for depressive and manic episodes that included psychotic elements. Recently, she put aside her actuarial career to join Revivre, a non-profit organization, with a mandate to make their mental health self-management workshops available to all. PETER NEILY, 2015 RCMP Constable Peter Neily shares his experience with posttraumatic stress on and off the job with the intention of reaching out to the community and helping others who struggle. He wants first responders and support personnel to know that there are resources available and that on the job stress can have an impact on life, but you can get help! JACK SADDLEBACK, 2014 Jack is a Cree two-spirit transgender man. Jack has helped to create safe-space for queer people within First Nations cultural ceremonies. To be able to partake in ceremonies that celebrate all aspects of his identity helps him to continue to take an active role in mental health advocacy.
SOME OF CAMIMH S CAMPAIGN SUCCESSES INCLUDE: Their Excellencies have publicly supported CAMIMH s campaigns by inviting the Faces of Mental Illness for personal visits to Rideau Hall, and by providing the keynote address at the Champions of Mental Health Awards Gala, and by renaming our youth award the Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award for Youth; More than 500,000 pieces of branded advocacy material were distributed nationally over the past five years; High level participation for both the Champions of Mental Health Awards and Mental Illness Awareness Week campaign, including nominations from politicians, journalists, lawyers, CEOs, artists and more; Excellent Parliamentary participation, including statements in the House of Commons, and hundreds of meetings with parliamentarians over the past five years; Top tier social media presence with millions of impressions received on Twitter including posts, mentions and retweets from Parliamentarians, journalists and leading experts in mental health; Garnering hundreds of high profile news stories annually surrounding the topic of mental health and stigma reduction. Some of the outlets covering CAMIMH s campaigns have included CTV News, Canada AM, The Ottawa Citizen, Power Play, Rogers Television, TSN, The Daily Gleaner, CBC radio and The Hill Times. YOUR GENEROUS SUPPORT WILL: Bring greater national awareness to mental health and mental illness to the Canadian public and elected representatives; Recognize outstanding Canadians who have made a significant impact on mental health research, stigma reduction, or public awareness; Create sustained and long-lasting media coverage on issues surrounding mental illness in Canada; Work to increase the importance of the mental health agenda among decision-makers at all levels of government in Canada. The Champions of Mental Health Awards will take place in Ottawa, Ontario With high profile speakers and guests to be announced! Join the growing celebration, quickly becoming the most politically recognized mental health gala in the country.