Leadership partners
The people behind Calgary’s Mental Health and Addiction Strategy
In the fall of 2021, leaders from across multiple sectors of the Calgary community were selected as Calgary’s Mental Health and Addiction Strategy leadership group.
The skills, education, and lived experience of this group will help with the implementation of Calgary’s Mental Health and Addictions strategy. This group of people will be a catalyst in creating hope, strengthening connections, and improving the lives of Calgarians.
The members of the leadership group are:
Name | Organization | Sector/Representation |
---|---|---|
Eren Cervantes-Altamirano |
The City of Calgary |
Government |
Katie McLellan |
Calgary Police Service |
Policing
|
Earl Thiessen |
Oxford House |
Lived Experience, Not-For-Profit |
Joanne Pitman |
Calgary Board of Education
|
Education |
Sara Jordan |
CMHA – Calgary |
Not-For-Profit |
Joanne Klein |
PETRONAS Canada |
Business |
Patricia Jones |
Calgary Homeless Foundation |
Funding, Not-For-Profit |
Karen Gosbee |
Community Advocate |
Lived Experience |
Janet Chafe |
Alberta Health Services |
Health |
Karen Young |
United Way of Calgary and Area | Funding, Community Investment |
Community Investment Table
Generous community organizations helped fund Change Can’t Wait! fast-pilot projects by adding a combined $275,000 to The City’s funding. These organizations form the Community Action on Mental Health and Addiction “Community Investment Table”.
These are the organizations and their Community Investment Table representatives:
Calgary Foundation
Jason Bates
Vice President of Grants and Community Initiatives
Calgary Foundation inspires and facilitates philanthropy, supports the charitable sector and builds a permanent endowment to address current and future needs of people in our community. To create an inclusive community where everyone belongs, we understand the importance of listening, learning, and collectively sharing our resources to transform Calgary’s mental health system in support of the greater wellbeing of all Calgarians.
Calgary Health Foundation
Rebecca Strand-Bowman, VP, Philanthropy & Chief Development Officer
Calgary Health Trust transforms lives by advancing healthcare in our city and bringing together donors, Alberta Health Services and innovative organizations, locally and globally, to fund breakthrough investments in care, wellness and research. The demand for mental services is growing in our city and we must work together to ensure a stronger system of support, from prevention to critical intervention, so that every Calgarian has access to the best care where and when they need it the most.
Hunter Family Foundation
Mona Hunter
Family Ambassador
Gena Rotstein
Karma & Cents, Philanthropy Advisor
Hunter Family Foundation's vision is a healthy society where innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset drive complex social issue solutions. One of our current mandates is to find and invest in innovative ideas and solutions in the area of Health and Wellness to benefit Calgarians and Albertans. By working with The City we see an opportunity to leverage our foundation's strengths and resources, both human and financial.
United Way of Calgary and Area
Susan Brooke
Vice President of Community Impact and Partnerships
Yared Belayneh
Director, Diversity and Inclusion Strategies; Mental Health and Wellbeing Focal Point
United Way of Calgary and Area creates a lasting positive impact on people’s lives by bringing stakeholders together to address complex social issues. Mental Health is a major community priority for Calgarians, and a key building block to a healthy and vibrant community. United Way is committed to address such a complex social issue by building community resilience through collective action. This requires innovative solutions that put individuals and families at the centre. There is no wellbeing without mental health.
Viewpoint Foundation
Karen Macdonald
Chief Operating Officer
Cat Van Wielingen
Director
Viewpoint Foundation is a private foundation based in Calgary – we aim to be responsible and impactful stewards of philanthropic capital. Viewpoint Foundation recognized Calgary’s Action on Mental Health and Addiction as a timely opportunity to collaborate with leaders in our community to address issues affecting the well- being of Calgarians in a more coordinated and impactful way.