Courtnall Society for Mental Health announces 2022 Grant Recipients.
In its first year of full-time operations, the Courtnall Society for Mental Health (CSMH) is pleased to announce over $100,000 in grants to eight different organizations offering vital mental health services in British Columbia. Thanks to the society’s donors, partners, and fundraising efforts, much needed financial support is being directed to programs and initiatives addressing issues within the Society’s four pillars: substance use, suicide prevention, children & youth and community integration.
“The programs and services offered by community organizations are important because they promote positive mental health,” says Dr. Wei Song, Head of Psychiatry for Island Health and CSMH board member. “Even patients with the more extreme mental health needs will often access these organizations for on-going support.”
Many donors chose to support the “area of greatest need” because they recognize CSMH’s efforts to research, connect with and understand what organizations are doing and where the funds will have the greatest impact. This designation also allows CSMH to be nimble in responding to emerging needs.
“Grants from CSMH provide valuable resources for organizations to carry out projects or provide services that otherwise might not be possible,” says Bruce Courtnall.
This year’s eight recipient organizations are located in Victoria and Vancouver, with some operating services in both cities, and several nationally.
CSMH grant recipients were chosen after a months-long vetting process in which the society proactively reached out to organizations to gather information, carry out onsite visits, and review projects underway and proposed by community agencies. Organizations were selected in part for their openness to collaboration, their ability to leverage new or existing funding resources and tackling a need that fell within the society’s four pillars.
Organizations received grants ranging from $1,000 to $25,000 include:
Acts of Kindness for Mental Health Foundation (AOK Foundation – based in Vancouver): The AOK Project, which is run by volunteers, provides wellness grants to children, youth, and their families who have been affected by mental health challenges and are in need of financial support. In turn, the recipients are encouraged to provide acts of kindness to a person or organization of their choice. This creates and fosters circles of kindness.
Citadel Therapy Canine Society (based in Vancouver but operates nationally): Entirely volunteer run CTCS provides PTSD – OSI service dogs and/or training support at no charge to the military veterans, nurses or other first responders who qualify to enroll in their program.
East End Boys Club Society (based in Vancouver): The East End Boys Club Society works primarily with marginalized youth between the ages of 13 – 19, to change lives through mentorship, engagement and education.
Victoria Youth Clinic Society (Foundry) (province wide): Foundry is a province-wide network of integrated health and wellness services for young people ages 12-24. Their integrated services make it possible for young people to access five core services in one convenient location: mental health care, substance use services, physical and sexual health care, youth and family peer supports, and social services.
Hulitan Family and Community Services Society (based in Victoria): Hulitan preserves, unifies and advocates for Indigenous families by supporting healing and fostering resilience through culturally rooted programs, services and collaboration with community partners.
Human-Nature Counselling Society (based in Victoria) Collaborative Grant: Human-Nature Counselling Society is a non-profit organization specializing in providing professional mental health services to children, youth, adults, and families primarily in outdoor locations. The Society works extensively with people who have exhausted the more traditional, office-based clinical services available to them, and/or who are looking for an approach that speaks to their passions and interests, and who share a love for the natural world.
Umbrella Society for Addictions and Mental Health (based in Victoria): Umbrella Society demonstrates excellence in the development and delivery of innovative and unique services to support individuals and their loved ones struggling with substance use issues.
Stigma-Free Society (based in BC, provincial scope, with a significant history in Victoria and Vancouver): Designs programs, with a special focus on youth, providing education about stigmas with an emphasis on mental health and peer support for those facing mental health challenges.