Earlier in 2015, Implementation Phase building blocks were gathered for the Niagara Mental Health and Addictions Charter, by diverse partners in the mental wellness continuum in Niagara. The following focus areas, identified by 50 people at the initial Implementation Phase working session in November, 2014, were examined:

  1. Housing and Homelessness
  2. Collaboration for Addictions & Mental Health and Promotion, Prevention & Primary Care
  3. Dual Diagnosis
  4. Student and Workplace Mental Wellness
  5. Student-Youth Transition
  6. Evaluation, Environmental Scan, Communication and Shared Learning
  7. Niagara Suicide Prevention Coalition

A resource document provides a Summary of Focus Area Group Discussion Themes.

An ad hoc working group is advancing development of an Implementation Toolkit to support Charter Signatory organizations’ enactment of the Charter Principles.

The Toolkit is geared to organizations of varying sizes, and will be beta-tested by a core group before it is finalized. It will guide:

  • shared learning and communications pathways among people working at all levels within the mental wellness continuum in Niagara (from people being served to front-line workers to senior leaders and decision-makers);
  • strategic shared measurement across Charter Signatory organizations; and
  • continuous capacity-building for best practice in the Niagara context.

Look for more information about this resource in the coming months!

The community-driven Niagara Mental Health and Addictions Charter was launched in May of 2014. The Charter marks the collective commitment of over 65 diverse organizations to strengthening the continuum of mental wellness promotion, mental illness prevention and addictions and mental health services in Niagara.

The goal of the Charter is to create a common agenda in Niagara where:

  • optimal mental health and wellbeing for all people is an essential element to be included in the planning as we build a stronger future; and
  • we take an inclusive, holistic, preventive, individual and family-centered approach across the whole lifespan (prenatal – older adult), so that each community member can achieve their optimal level of wellbeing.

 

Mary Wiley
Executive Director, Niagara Connects
ed@niagaraconnects.ca

 

Background Information: