Mental Health Promotion

Mental Health Promotion Think Tank - November 4, 2008

A series of meetings and activities preceded the National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Think Tank that was held in Calgary on November 4, 2008.

In 2005, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Centre for Health Promotion at the University of Toronto co-chaired a Mental Health Promotion Summer Institute. This meeting generated interest in ongoing conversations about the development of mental health promotion policy in Canada.

Two years later, BC Mental Health and Addiction Services, hosted a Mental Health Promotion Symposium “No Health Without Mental Health: Community Approaches to Mental Health Promotion”, in conjunction with the 2007 International Union of Health Promotion and Education conference in Vancouver. Partners included: Public Health Agency of Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Alberta Mental Health Board; BC Ministry of Health; Canadian Mental Health Association; Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto; and the Government of Ontario. Many people participated in the symposium and indicated not only their interest in mental health promotion, but also a desire to stay connected, learn more, and ideally, influence mental health promotion in Canada.

Following the symposium, conversations continued among a group of enthusiastic mental health promotion experts from across Canada.  This group evolved into the Pan Canadian Steering Committee (please see a list of members below) to plan a national think tank that would engage key decision makers, experienced practitioners, and academics in dialogue about mental health promotion and mental illness prevention policy development in Canada.  The intent of the Think Tank was to generate recommendations for submission to the Mental Health Commission of Canada for consideration in its national mental health framework; and to help inform mental health promotion and mental illness prevention policy development and implementation at the provincial and territorial level.

Please see the resources section below for links to documents arising from the National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Think Tank.

Resources:

To inform and stimulate discussions at the Think Tank, the Pan-Canadian Committee commissioned a background paper entitled "Toward Flourishing For All: Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy Background Paper" (GermAnn & Ardiles, 2008)  (and a Companion Document) available at:

Proceedings of the Think Tank can be found in the document entitled:  "Toward Flourishing for All: Proceedings from the National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Think Tank" available at:

In addition, the Pan-Canadian Steering Committee prepared a  summary of the main recommendations and key points from the Think Tank to go forward to the Mental Health Commission of Canada and others, entitled "Toward Flourishing for All: National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy for Canadians” available in English and French at:

Vers l’épanouissement pour tous : politique de promotion de la santé mentale et de prévention de la maladie mentale pour les Canadiennes et les Canadiens.
Mental Health Promotion Best Advice for a Policy for Canadians - French

Membership of Pan-Canadian Committee:

Co-chairs:

Peter Coleridge, BC Mental Health & Addiction Services
Beth Evans, Alberta Health Services - Alberta Mental Health Board

Members:

Mary Bartram/Howard Chodos, Mental Health Commission of Canada
Marion Cooper, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority
Jayson Doll, Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion
Lori Idlout, Nunavut Embrace LIfe Council
Suzanne Jackson, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto
Marianne Kobus-Matthews, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Carl Lakaski, Public Health Agency of Canada
Bonnie Pape, Canadian Mental Health Association
Ken Ross, Department of Health, New Brunswick
Andrea Stevens Lavigne, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto

Guidelines

Best Practice Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion Programs: Children and Youth

Links

Mental Health Promotion Symposium 2007

Last Updated: 25-May-2009