Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Initiative

What's New

GET INVOLVED

CHARTER

 

The CCMHI has developed the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Charter – essentially a pledge amongst its 12 national member organizations to work together to support the delivery of mental health services in primary care through interdisciplinary collaboration. A set of Principles and Commitments that make up the Charter, help to guide collaborative mental health care, in terms of ‘when’, ‘where’ and ‘how’ mental health services are delivered in Canada.

The Charter was developed through extensive dialogue with consumers, families, caregivers, health providers, policy makers, educators and funders across the country. In total, the Charter had been considered and informed by nearly 2,500 people from coast to coast through and in-depth consultation process.

 

The Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Care Charter

The Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Charter reflects the commitment of national consumer and provider organizations of mental health services to improving the mental health of persons in Canada. These organizations, who are signatories to the Charter, agree to promote and support the Charter through their membership.


Download the Charter Document

Principles

The signatory organizations agree that the following Principles form the foundation of collaborative mental health care and agree to promote these Principles among their members and stakeholders:

  • All Canadian residents have the right to live in a society that promotes health and provides for the prevention and early detection of mental health problems
  • All Canadian residents have the right to health services that promote a healthy mind, body and spirit
  • All Canadian residents have the right to collaborative, effective and timely mental health services
  • Consumers, along with their social supports, have the right and responsibility to be full partners in their recovery
  • All Canadian residents have the right to receive mental health services and supports in a manner that respects their diverse needs
  • All Canadian residents have the right to be informed about the range of mental health services and supports that can meet their needs
  • Mental health services must be supported by policy and provided with adequate financial and human resources

Download the Charter Poster

 

Commitments

It is understood by the signatories that their capacities to make the changes necessary to implement these principles in day-to-day practice vary with their respective roles and mandates. Accordingly, the signatories agree to advocate for, facilitate and/or undertake the following Commitments:

  • Advocate (federal, provincial, territorial governments) for the development of pan-Canadian mental health policies and implementation strategies that support the Charter Principles
  • Provide leadership and guidance, and encourage practices that support collaborative mental health care
  • Advocate for a pan-Canadian education and public awareness campaign to better educate people about mental health and mental illness
  • Develop and implement strategies for reducing stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness that can be applied across various settings (e.g., health, community, workplace, school)
  • Promote formal inclusion and involvement of consumers, families and caregivers and/or their associations in mental health service planning, policy development and evaluation
  • Establish common guidelines for the delivery of mental health services that respect individual differences and the context of culture in mental health and mental illness
  • Promote interprofessional education to increase the collaborative skills of consumers and health care providers and to build knowledge about the expertise and potential contributions of other partners
  • Promote interprofessional competencies in collaborative mental health care within each health care provider profession through regulatory and accreditation standards
  • Work together as health care and consumer associations to inform, advise and support primary health care reform initiatives to include mental health and mental illness
  • Continue to work together as health care associations to advocate for, build and sustain the policy, program and resource infrastructure to support collaborative mental health provider education and practice
  • Continue to support research, evaluation and the implementation of effective practices in collaborative mental health care
  • Continue to work together as health care associations to advise and inform funding bodies about the financial and human resources needed to deliver effective and timely collaborative mental health care
 

We, the signatories, on behalf of our respective associations, agree to work collaboratively to uphold the Principles and actively endorse the Commitments as written in the Canadian Collaborative Mental Health Charter.

John C. Service, PhD
Chair, Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health

Diane Méthot, BSc(OT), OT Reg (Ont), OT(C)
President, Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists

Veronica Marsman, MSW, RSW
President, Canadian Association of Social Workers


Christine Davis, RN, BScN, MEd, CPMHN(C)
President, Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurses


Robert Campbell
President, National Board of Directors, Canadian Mental Health Association


Deborah L. Tamlyn, RN, PhD
President, Canadian Nurses Association


George H. Murray, BSc Pharm
President, Canadian Pharmacists Association


A. Donald Milliken, MB, MSHA, FRCPC
President, Canadian Psychiatric Association


Daniel Perlman, PhD
President, Canadian Psychological Association

Helen Bishop MacDonald, MSc, RD, FDC
Chair, Board of Directors, Dietitians of Canada

Anthony Brannen, RPN, BComm, MHSA
President, Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada


Louise Nasmith, MDCM, MEd, CCFP, FCFP
President, The College of Family Physicians of Canada

Dated March 2006
View Our Video
PC | Mac