Vision: To Provide Resources to Foster Communities of Mentally Healthy People.
Mission: To Promote Mental Health for Individuals and Our Community.
Since 1995 the Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta Northwest Region (CMHA ANWR) has been serving Grande Prairie helping those with mental health issues and addiction. A branch of the national CMHA this organization works to provide tailored programs and services to assist those in need in our area.
CHMA ANWR helps support the community in various ways; their main office located downtown at Willow Place, is an apartment building with 57 units owned & operated by the agency. Built in 2003, these Studio apartments house individuals with mental health problems and/or recovering from addictions. Tenants within Willow place; must qualify for affordable housing, be able to pay rent and live independently with support.
Willow Place is also home to CMHA ANWR’s Hub Resource Centre, with funding from Alberta Health Services, this program offers those with mental health and or in recovery the chance to partake in planned activities, such as collective kitchen to prepare group meal, arts & crafts, and social gatherings. The Hub helps develop social interaction and grow community support and resources for participants, Volunteers help with planning and instructing many of the Hub activities. Our Treats & Sweets program is an Ice Cream Stand located south of Centre 2000 and is operated by our clients selling snacks to the community. The Treats & Sweets Stand also helps promote CMHA & Willow Place to the public while at the same time gives clients community engagement.
CMHA ANWR is part of the Housing First Program funded by the City of Grande Prairie’s End Homelessness Initiative. This program helps homeless individual locate, attain, and maintain housing. The Housing First program also helps connect individuals with appropriate medical / mental health services, addiction counselling, life skills and landlord relations.
CMHA ANWR also helps those living on streets of our city with their Mobile Addictions Outreach Program, funded by Alberta Health Services. This program offers support, referrals, and information to at risk individuals with addictions and/or mental health problems. Currently the team has two fulltime employees seeing an average of 300 individuals per month.
A main area of focus for CMHA ANWR is providing one-on-one support to individuals with developmental disabilities, mental health and/or addictions issues. Our SPD (Support for Persons with Disabilities) staff members are trained and accredited to support individuals in ways to help them improve in various areas of their lives such as their well-being, social skills, housing, employment and more.
With over 25 years of providing services to the City of Grande Prairie and surrounding areas, plans for a new an affordable housing apartment with an additional 32 units is in development. The new building will be located besides our Willow Place Apartment Location where resources can be shared and have units dedicated to individuals with “complex needs”. Still in the initial phases of development funding for this new build is currently in the works. Our goal in building this project is to provide additional supportive units that is much needed in the City of Grande Prairie.
For more information about Canadian Mental Health Association ANWR and their programs and for those interested in their volunteer opportunities please visit their website www.gpcmha.ca, you can also contact them at their main office at 780-814-2349 or email info@gpcmha.ca . Stay up to date on CMHA ANWR news and events by following them on Facebook and Twitter.
Disclaimer of Liability: This page contains links to third-party service provider websites. Grande Prairie Regional Association of Volunteer Organizations is not responsible and assumes no liability for the content or materials available on any linked third-party sites.