Who is involved? Leadership partners

Calgary’s Mental Health and Addiction Strategy is led by a dedicated group of volunteers, community members, partners, not-for-profit organizations and government representatives.

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

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

Mona Hunter
Family Ambassador

Gena Rotstein

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

Susan Brooke
Vice President of Community Impact and Partnerships

Yared Belayneh

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

Karen Macdonald
Chief Operating Officer

Cat Van Wielingen

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.

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