CMA Foundation announces recipients of this year's Healthy Canadians Grants

TORONTO, Aug. 11, 2019 /CNW/ - The CMA Foundation (CMAF) is thrilled to announce the 15 recipients of the 2019 Healthy Canadians Grants program. Launched in 2018, the Healthy Canadians Grants program supports community-run initiatives that improve the quality of life for patients and vulnerable populations living in those communities. This year, 15 grants of $20,000 will provide support to youth mental health and/or substance use initiatives across the country.

"We know mental health and substance use are two important determinants of health, especially for youth and vulnerable populations," says Allison Seymour, CMAF president. "Our goal is to focus on improving the health of Canadians and supporting the profession through impactful charitable giving to further excellence in health care."

The 2019 Healthy Canadians Grants recipients are:

    --  FASD Society for BC (The Asante Centre): Peer Mentorship Program -
        Surrey, BC: The program involves weekly sessions for youth with fetal
        alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), facilitated by employees with FASD.
        The goal of these sessions is to help youth who are predisposed to
        mental health and substance use concerns to build strategies for
        resiliency as well as develop self-awareness and advocacy skills.
    --  Dan's Legacy Foundation: East Van Dan's - East Vancouver, BC: Working in
        partnership with other community organizations, the program delivers
        trauma-informed and culturally-informed counselling, designed to meet
        the needs of youth who have cognitive disorders, spectrum disorders and
        mental health challenges, and who are living with the impacts of trauma.
        The goal of this program is to eliminate barriers to mental health
        services for youth by going directly into the communities where they
        live.
    --  ARCHES: Hip Hop for Healing - Lethbridge, AB: The program offers song
        writing and recording opportunities for vulnerable youth, particularly
        homeless youth who have significant physical health, mental health,
        and/or substance use concerns, while leveraging this opportunity to
        connect them to physical health, mental health, and addictions supports.
    --  FASD Network of Saskatchewan: FASDiversity Support Group - Saskatoon,
        SK: The program involves monthly support meetings held specifically for
        youth who live with or suspect they may live with FASD and could benefit
        from sexual education and/or identify as a member of the LGBTQ2S
        community.
    --  Nor'West Co-op Community Health Centre: Building Healthy Buddies -
        Winnipeg, MB: The program trains youth participants to become peer
        supports within their communities by providing them with the skills and
        tools to help recognize signs and symptoms of mental health struggles
        and substance use in their peers.
    --  Northwestern Health Unit: Four Directions Community Pathways Partnership
        - Kenora and Rainy River Districts, ON: The program implements a
        community-based framework using culturally-competent student navigators
        to coordinate health and social services for at-risk students,
        particularly Indigenous students who are transitioning from other
        communities.
    --  Scadding Court Community Centre: HeARTwork - Toronto, ON: The program
        involves youth-led arts-based workshops in spoken word, music, and
        visual art. Workshops are geared toward low-income, racialized youth to
        increase their resiliency for coping with various social and economic
        challenges that affect their community.
    --  Prévention C.É.S.A.R. Petite-Nation: Programme A.D.O.S. en prévention
        de la toxicomanie et autre dépendance - Papineauville, QC: The program
        offers substance use prevention workshops for youth aged 11 to 17 years
        at 14 schools in the region, with the goal of preventing the consumption
        of psychoactive substances.
    --  Partners for Youth Inc: Youth in Action for Mental Health - Fredericton,
        NB: The program engages youth leadership teams at high schools to
        develop initiatives to raise awareness of mental health issues, reduce
        stigma, and promote positive mental health and wellness.
    --  Potlotek First Nation: Honouring Our Youth (We Matter Too) - Chapel
        Island, NS: The program develops an addictions and mental health toolkit
        designed to provide information and resources to help Mi'kmaq youth
        better reflect on the complex reasons for addictions, mental illness and
        suicide.
    --  Laing House Association: The Den (Youth Outreach and Peer Support) -
        Sackville, NS: The program offers drop-in support including peer support
        mentorship, wellness programming, and connections to external service
        providers in a safe, welcoming, youth-focused space called The Den.
    --  CMHA Prince Edward Island: Gay Straight Alliance - Kings County, PEI:
        The program promotes inclusivity and wellness for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in
        Kings County. The program involves bi-weekly peer support meetings for
        2SLGBTQIA+ youth led by older youth in the community. The newly formed
        group plans to host wellness events, which allies will be welcome to
        attend. The goal of these meetings is to improve the social connection
        and sense of belonging of the participants, as well as their mental
        health and substance use status.
    --  Community Mental Health Initiative: Youth Voices - Corner Brook, NL: The
        program recruits youth from seven schools in the Western region of
        Newfoundland to lead a student team in their school. The teams will plan
        and attend a one-day leadership rally where they will develop an action
        plan that includes five health promotion initiatives for the school
        year. The goal of this program is to support youth, parents, and
        communities in working together to take action to address mental health
        and substance use issues on a local level.
    --  Hamlet of Naujaat: Building on Strengths in Naujaat - Naujaat, NU: The
        program organizes land trips for vulnerable youth along with Elders and
        health care professionals. These trips promote skill building that will
        help the youth become independent and provide country food for their
        families. The goal of these trips is to prevent suicidality by enhancing
        resiliency and reducing substance use.
    --  Jack.org: 2019 Northern Jack Summit - YT, NT and NU: The program
        supports youth leaders from the North in organizing an annual summit
        that will bring 50 youth from across the territories to discuss the
        barriers to mental health they face and develop strategies to overcome
        them. Youth will have the opportunity to develop action plans for their
        communities.

Created by the Canadian Medical Association, the CMAF provides impactful charitable giving to registered Canadian charities and qualified donees that further excellence in health care. The CMAF is working with its partners - medical associations, affiliates and charitable organizations - to fund programs and initiatives that positively affect the health of Canadians and impact physicians and physician learners.

SOURCE Canadian Medical Association