Our Branch of CMHA offers a wide variety of programming along the mental health continuum. Our services include rehabilitation, outreach, group and individual support and and public education.
Rehabilitation
ACHIEVE Planning & Employment Service - This program aims to assist and support adults with permanent disabilities to access the labour market in a volunteer, part-time or full-time capacity.
BC Employment Program – An employment program to assist employable Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance clients to secure employment and move toward sustained independence. The program also assists clients with barriers to employment to achieve increased employability and connections with community services.
Goodman House - Goodman House provides housing placement, support and rehabilitation to adults recovering from mental health and addiction issues. The home provides individualized goal planning, in-house programming to support these goals as well as liaison with external services such as the Addiction Day Program.
Outreach
Gift of Hope - This program provides hope and social support activities for mental health consumers during the Holiday season and results in the distribution of over 300 “Gifts of Hope”. Other activities include a brunch on Christmas Day and a Christmas dinner for 125 people.
Hospital Outreach – Bi-weekly we are welcomed to the Inpatient Psychiatric Ward at Lions Gate Hospital to share information on CMHA support services available to people after discharge.
Homeless Outreach – This outreach program supports homeless individuals with no income to access Income Assistance benefits and connects them with appropriate housing, support and medical services.
Individual Advocacy - Our advocacy service, offered in partnership with Vancouver's Motivation, Power and Achievement Society (MPA), provides assistance with disability benefit applications, appeals and tribunals, CPP Disability Benefit applications and appeals, basic income tax returns, housing referrals and more.
Public Education
Health Lecture Series – This program offers a weekly health lecture for mental health consumers, family members and the community on everything from illness to wellness. Last year we had over 1700 visits to the lecture series and 36% of these attendees accessed a new service as a result of information gained from a health lecture presenter.
Public Education - Our Public Education initiatives include a resource and referral service that fielded nearly 900 calls for information last year. Our Branch also hosts Depression and Anxiety Screening in North and West Vancouver during Mental Illness Awareness Week each year
Individual and Group Support
Brief Counselling Service – In partnership with the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors we offer a brief counseling service that provides short-term, low-cost, confidential, one-to-one support to adults living on the North Shore.
Chronic Disease Counselling Service - Individual and group counselling for individuals experieincing mild to moderate depression and 2 or more chronic illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, ischemic heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular disease)
Support Groups – We offer facilitated support groups for adults with a mood or anxiety disorder. These groups provide a valuable opportunity for education, support and understanding and are currently offered in Farsi.
Bounce Back: Reclaim Your Health -The Bounce Back: Reclaim Your Health project offers mental health support to individuals experiencing mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. The program offers two forms of help. The first is a DVD video providing practical tips on managing mood and healthy living. The second is a guided self-help program with telephone support. The guided self-help program teaches skills to overcome unhelpful thinking, reduced activities, low socialization and sleep problems, as well as strategies for problem solving, through the help of a Bounce Back community coach. Access to the community coach requires a doctor's referral. For more information click here