Goal 3:  Improve Access to Mental Healthcare Services for Infants, Children, and Youth The authors have attempted to assure the information contained in these pages is accurate however we cannot be sure that we might have included something that is not correct . The information contained in these webpages may have some inaccuracies or be out of date. We would greatly appreciate receiving any comments, updates, information on other relevant activities or corrections you might have.

Recommendation 12 - Support the work of the Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health Consortium

National Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health Consortium - The National Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health Consortium (“The Consortium”) is based on the recognition that the collective work of partners from a variety of communities and sectors is vital to achieving our vision and mission. The Consortium is open to membership by any individual, group or organization who endorses these terms of reference. 

Vision: Our vision is a Canada in which every infant, child and youth thrives within their families and communities, and has the opportunity to achieve their optimal mental health. 

Mission: The primary mission of The Consortium is to actively champion the development and implementation of a cohesive Infant, Child and Youth Mental Health National Action Plan. We accomplish this by informing, supporting, facilitating and mobilizing the collective work of our organizations and stakeholders.

Reaching for the Top: A Report by the Advisor on Healthy Children & Youth Commissioned by the Government of Canada, this report provides recommendations on how to help improve the health and wellness of Canada’s children and youth.
» Full Report

The Mental Health Commission of Canada

The Mental Health Commission of Canada is a non-profit organization created to focus national attention on mental health issues and to work to improve the health and social outcomes of people living with mental illness.

The Commission, while funded by the Government of Canada, is a national body, not a federal one. It has been endorsed by all levels of government, although the Commission operates at arm's length from them.

The Commission is currently working on four key initiatives:

1. A mental health strategy
2. An anti-stigma campaign
3. Homelessness research demonstration projects
4. A knowledge exchange centre

Evergreen: Towards a Child and Youth Mental Health Framework for Canada

A proposal was submitted to the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) by the Child and Youth Advisory Committee (CYAC) of the MHCC to establish a mental health framework specific to child and youth. The proposed framework, entitled Evergreen, will complement and may provide child and youth context to the Mental Health Strategy for Canada currently being developed by the MHCC. Evergreen can also be made available to responsible policy makers and planners within provinces and territories and other jurisdictions as a tool to inform and guide the creation, development and/or adaptation of child and youth mental health policies and plans. The MHCC has provided support and the majority of funding for this project. Additional funding and support has been provided by the IWK Children’s Health Centre.

One of the key initiatives of the Mental Health Commission of Canada is to develop a Mental Health Strategy for Canada. As part of the strategy the Child and Youth Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Commission of Canada is advancing the development of a framework specific to the needs of child and youth mental health.

The proposed framework, entitled Evergreen, will complement and provide a child and youth context to the Mental Health Strategy for Canada.

Evergreen is a collaborative project that will produce a framework to help improve policy and programming related to child and adolescent mental health across Canada.

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