In a key decision that will support mental health and addictions care in Nipissing District, the board of directors of Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services (NMHHSS) has approved a motion to become a branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) as of April 1, 2021.
“While our name is changing, the services we provide are not, and only stand to improve,” said NMHHSS CEO Mary Davis. “This exciting development marks a key step in the transformation of how our organization provides mental health and addictions services. Our organization has autonomy and operational control over the programs and services we offer, so I want our staff and clients to rest assured that the supports we provide will not be impacted.”
Participating in the CMHA network will provide NMHHSS clients and staff additional resources, supports and programs. For instance, NMHHSS will be able to tap into CMHA Ontario provincial programs such as Bounce Back, Mental Health Works, Talk Today, Living Life to the Full and Mood Walks, which are available to clients and the broader public. As well, NMHHSS can access the expertise of CMHA Ontario initiatives like the Centre for Innovation in Campus Mental Health and the Provincial Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee Secretariat.
Becoming a CMHA also allows NMHHSS to share its expertise with the CMHA network across Ontario and Canada. NMHHSS will bring to CMHA significant experience, particularly in areas of housing and peer support, insights about which can benefit other CMHAs provincewide.
“Becoming a CMHA branch is an important milestone in the transformation of mental health and addictions services in the Nipissing area,” said NMHHSS board president/chair Mike Monaghan. “CMHA is among the most identifiable and largest national organizations of its kind, and the CMHA core values align with those of NMHHSS. We’re excited and proud to join the CMHA family and we look forward to working together to provide the Nipissing area the best possible mental health, addictions and housing services.”
“NMHHSS is a well-established, definitive leader in community-based mental health and addictions care in Nipissing District, and CMHA Ontario is very pleased to welcome the organization to the branch network,” said CMHA Ontario CEO Camille Quenneville. “By becoming a branch of CMHA, NMHHSS will play a key role in influencing innovation and best practices in the provision of services provincially.”
Fast facts:
- NMHHSS has served approximately 1,580 people between April 1 and Sept. 30, 2020, in the areas of mental health and addictions services, supportive housing and rent supplements, and related programs.
- NMHHSS will be CMHA’s 28th branch in Ontario when the change comes into effect April 1.
CMHAs in Ontario support more than 100,000 individuals each year with mental health and addictions programs and supports.
About Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services
Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services (NMHHSS) is a local mental health, addictions and peer support agency that specializes in support services to people who have a serious or persistent mental illness, and may have other medical and/or behavioural complexities. NMHHSS works to promote wellness and empower individuals to achieve their full potential by providing collaborative supports, advocacy and sustainable housing through a respectful and culturally-sensitive approach to care. Learn more at www.nmhhss.ca.
About Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario is a not-for-profit, charitable organization. We work to improve the lives of all Ontarians through leadership, collaboration and continual pursuit of excellence in community-based mental health and addictions services. Our vision is a society that embraces and invests in the mental health of all people. We are a trusted advisor to government, contributing to health systems development through policy formulation and recommendations that promote positive mental health. Our 28 local CMHA branches, together with community-based mental health and addictions service providers across the province, serve approximately 500,000 Ontarians each year.
To arrange an interview, contact:
Carla Ammerata
Co-ordinator, Policies & Governmental Affairs
Nipissing Mental Health Housing & Support Services
T: 249-591-1775
E: ckemsley@nmhhss.ca
Justin Dickie
Communications Officer
Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario
T: 416-977-5580, ext. 4175
E: jdickie@ontario.cmha.ca