A MESSAGE
from the President
and Executive Director
Laureen MacNeil & Barbara Tate
T
he past year was a remarkable one in
many ways for Calgary. In reflecting
on the year past at CMHA - Calgary, our
successes, some unique achievements,
and of course the challenges that
faced not only this organization, but
our entire city, there is a compelling
story that emerges. This story is one
of people; those Calgarians who have
faced both challenge and triumph, and
more importantly how those within our
networks have supported each other
through those periods of transition and
upheaval.
The face of a CMHA - Calgary client
is that of an individual whose life has
been affected by mental illness or
addiction. The approximately 25,000
individuals who seek our services
annually are representative of our
diverse community. They may require
anything ranging from services to help
them become more informed, resilient
and improve their mental health, to
integration into the community. The
work we undertake is focused on
recovery for those individuals and their
families. This is what we mean by
“Mental health for all.”
At CMHA - Calgary we view our work
through the lens of our community.
There is a statistic you will often hear
– one out of five individuals will be
affected by mental illness at some
point in their life. Twenty percent of the
population is a significant number. But,
in our calculations, we like to include
the other 80 per cent as well; the four
out of five who know and love someone
who is experiencing a mental illness or
addiction.
We ask, “What is the best way we can
provide services that will support the
short-term needs and long-term mental
health goals?” With the individual at
the centre, we are proud to say that
the 12 core programs we offer are
changing lives. We see it in the faces
of the individuals we support every day,
and opportunities like this to review
our overall annual contribution to
community allow us to see the results
in a broader scope. In this 2013-2014
Report to Community, the numbers
tell a significant story and we are
pleased to share them with you. We
profile the faces of recovery to further
tell that story. From the people who
live a mental health journey to those
committed to ensuring the individuals
and families we serve do receive the
best support we can provide, each is
an example of courage, dedication and
strength.
We will also showcase our achievements,
recognition within community for our
staff and their efforts. And, we will
look at the Flood of 2013, a landmark
event that affected every aspect of our
work: from our physical location, to the
impact on our clients and growth in
our outreach services. While the flood
itself was devastating, it also served
to remind us of the immensity of the
human spirit and the strength of this
community.
It is on this foundation that we are
building our 2014-2015 vision – that
of a community working together
toward mental health for all. We have
increased our presence in community,
broadened our relationships and are
forming strategi