Toward Flourishing For All

National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy - Best Advice Paper

"Toward Flourishing for All: National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy for Canadians” was developed by BC Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Alberta Health Services Board, in partnership with a number of national and provincial organizations, for consideration by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in the development of a national mental health framework and strategy, and for provinces and territories in the development and implementation of mental health promotion and mental illness prevention policy within their jurisdiction.

This paper was based on deliberations from the National Mental Health Promotion Think Tank held in Calgary, November 2008.

Resources

Proceedings of the Think Tank can be found in the document:

"Toward Flourishing for All: Proceedings from the National Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Think Tank".

To inform and stimulate discussions at the Think Tank, the Pan-Canadian Committee commissioned background papers:

"Toward Flourishing For All: Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy Background Paper" (GermAnn & Ardiles, 2009).

“Toward Flourishing For All: Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention Policy in International Jurisdictions” (GermAnn & Ardiles, 2009).


Background

This work builds on the 2007 Mental Health Promotion Symposium “No Health Without Mental Health: Community Approaches to Mental Health Promotion”, hosted by BC Mental Health and Addiction Services in conjunction with the 2007 International Union of Health Promotion and Education conference in Vancouver.

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 for Mental Health Promotion and Mental Illness Prevention, co-chaired by Mr. Peter Coleridge, Vice President, Education and Population Health at BC Mental Health and Addiction Services; and Ms. Beth Evans, Director Mental Health Promotion, Alberta Health Services-Mental Health and Addiction.
 
The group hosted a National Think Tank in Calgary on November 4, 2008, to engage key decision makers, experienced practitioners, and academics in dialogue about mental health promotion and mental illness prevention policy development in Canada.

Membership

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