By Sarah Chamberlin
We are in the midst of a global mental health crisis. Mental health has historically lagged behind other areas of research and care, and it continues to be riddled with trial and error. People often search and suffer for years before finding the right treatment for their illness. Many are losing potential and hope, and some are even losing their lives.
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health is Canada’s largest mental health hospital and a source of hope for Canadians and people around the world. The CAMH Foundation is charged with inspiring philanthropy to help transform the way we understand and treat mental illness. Our generous and dedicated supporters help CAMH advance discovery and innovation, build spaces that promote recovery, and break down the stigma of mental illness.
The mental health movement has never been stronger than it is today. Attitudes are changing, knowledge is evolving, treatments are improving, and potential cures are emerging. Everyone has a reason to support this movement, and with your help we can continue to make breakthroughs, dismantle barriers, and save lives.
The Importance of Investing in Mental Health
As a global leader in mental health research, CAMH aims to revolutionize the understanding of the brain, use evidence to drive social change and optimize care, and inspire hope for those with mental illness.
We want to reform our understanding of the brain and the causes, biomarkers, and treatments for mental illness. We are transforming the way we do research so that all CAMH patients and staff have a role in advancing discovery. The ongoing investment from our community of donors and advocates in continuing this research is what allows us to drive system improvements and social change that will optimize care for all.
CAMH is accelerating life-saving research and translating new discoveries into advancement and innovation in mental health care. Donor support fuels CAMH scientists and programs that will deliver more personalized treatments and equitable care so that more people recover faster.
Some ways in which CAMH and our community of supporters are driving change include:
- CAMH-wide BrainHealth Databank, which aims to accelerate research and improve care by collecting and studying data that individuals choose to share. This first-of-its-kind initiative is helping mental health professionals find cures in the data by enhancing understanding and diagnosis of mental illness and improving new treatments and prevention strategies.
- CAMH’s womenmind, a community of philanthropists and thought leaders tackling the unique gender issues that underrepresented people face when it comes to their mental health. Members of the womenmind community connect with and learn from each other while driving change for women’s mental health and women in science.
- CAMH’s Business Leaders for Mental Health Action, a philanthropic coalition of Canadian business leaders and companies committed to improving the psychological health and safety of employees and advocating for businesses to take action. Members in this coalition commit to taking a stand in support of better mental health, breaking down stigma, implementing organization mental health strategies, and supporting better outcomes for people living with mental illness across the country.
Everyone Has a Reason
We all have our own reasons to drive progress in mental health: it could be because of your own personal experience or that of your family, friends, coworkers, and others in your community. What matters most is turning that reason into action. Investment in research is what will take mental health outcomes and care to the next level.
You can help more people receive the quality of care they deserve, when and where they need it. Your investment today will not only support programs that improve the patient experience for those in recovery at CAMH but also fuel the groundbreaking mental health research that is transforming care and saving lives globally.
This year Giving Tuesday is on November 29th and it’s a great opportunity turn your reason into action.
Sarah Chamberlin is Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President, Community Giving and Engagement at CAMH Foundation. She brings a unique combination of private sector and not-for-profit leadership experience to the organization. Sarah and her team are the driving force in developing powerful marketing and communications strategies that inspire people to join the movement and support CAMH, Canada’s leader in mental health.
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