Community

The Community Coalition For Mental Health (CC4MH) is a coalition of community and labour groups, students, and individuals working together to end stigma and raise awareness of mental health issues. Based on the principles of inclusion, respect, recovery, and resilience, we work in collaboration - advocating for improved and comprehensive community mental health services in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Structure

1) General Membership

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Our current membership stands at over 300 individuals representing individuals, groups, resources, etc.

2) Sub-Committees

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From time to time sub-committees are formed either as a more permanent or temporary fixture within the coalition. These sub-committees focus on specific goals, tasks, regions, communities, etc. They are made up of member, organizations and elected members. It allows for members to take initiative when they so choose. Interested in starting a project or sub-committee? Talk to us!

3) Elected Board

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Representatives of the general membership and each of the sub-committees who are tasked with determining the overall direction and goals of the Community Coalition for Mental Health, while facilitating communication between all CC4MH entities.

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4) Elected Co-Chairs

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Selected by members of the CC4MH board. Responsible for all media statements and interviews; the faces (and sometimes voices) of the full CC4MH.

5) Communication Committee

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Arranging and enabling communication between coalition members, sub-committees, the public, the media, and various government bodies. Advertising, design, and media creation.

6) Elections Committee

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Arranging and facilitating all CC4MH elections, overseeing those elections, and confirming that all electoral procedures are followed during the election process.

Elections

Election of the Steering Committee:

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At a designated general meeting on the coalition, the community coalition members will elect a steering committee. The steering committee will be made up of 18 Elected members and 3 appointed members. For a total of 21 members.

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Appointed Positions (1 each):

- Labour Representative: This position will be decided by the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour.

- Post-Secondary Representative: This position will be decided by the Canadian Federation of Students.

- Addictions Representative: This position will be decided by the Addictions Treatment Services Association.

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Elected Positions:

Regional Representatives (4)

- Labrador

- Western

- Central

- Eastern

Members at Large (13)

Nomination can be submitted by email, phone or in person. Self-nomination is accepted as well as nominations from another individual. If nominated by another person, the election chair will confirm that the nominated wishes to stand for nomination. Nominations will be accepted from the floor.

Once the candidate list has been finalized, ballots will be printed. Once printed, ballots will be distributed to members (1 ballot per member). The Election Chair will then show the members that the ballot box is empty before sealing it. Members will mark their ballots and place it into the ballot box. Once voting is done the chair and their committee will go to another room to count the ballots. Scrutineers are allowed. Once the ballots are counted and the results are announced there will be a motion to destroy the ballots.

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The Steering Committee once elected will determine who among them will fill the roles of:

Co-Chairs (2)

Secretary (1)

Treasurer (1)

*Should the need for any other position arise, then it will be filled by a member of the Steering Committee (e.g. Treasurer)

** The Steering Committee must decide this within the week from elections.

Values

• We embrace diversity and difference in opinion.

• We provide safe spaces, free from discrimination of all sorts.

• We are inclusive and open to anyone who would like to participate.

• We will encourage all voices to be heard and validated.

• We will speak positively.

• We will convert all problems, weaknesses, challenges and disagreements into opportunities, strengths, accomplishments and agreements.

• We will treat each other with respect, for we are all committed to positive change.

• We will improve the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mission and Mandate

Whereas, mental health and mental illness are matters of enormous and perpetual concern to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians,

Whereas, mental health advocates in Newfoundland and Labrador, real and corporate, are diverse and numerous in their perspectives, but commonly unified in their desire to improve the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador,

Whereas, history has shown that division amongst advocates, corporate and individual, runs counter to the common goal of improving the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador,

Whereas, such historical division has prevented the Mental Health Community, when necessary, from speaking with from a place of safety and security with a voice of authority,

Whereas, it is desirable and necessary that the Mental Health Community permanently and formally ally in a spirit of perpetual and respectful community, democracy and fellowship,

Whereas, we have been meeting in that spirit of alliance at Holy Heart since the summer of 2014 and have formed the historically unprecedented Community Coalition for Mental Health, a democratic alliance of mental health advocates and allies,

We Therefore Declare and proclaim:

• That the Community Coalition For Mental Health is a permanent alliance of diverse individuals, real and corporate, spread throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, whom share the common goal of improving the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador.

• That the Community Coalition For Mental Health is a democratic alliance, and shall hold elections to its Steering Committee once a year, or at some other interval as decided by the membership from time to time AND that the Steering Committee shall elect two co-chairs whom will speak on behalf of the organization through their tenure.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall work perpetually to advance the aims of its members, real and corporate, in their pursuit of the common goal of improving the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall recognize that it is an advocacy alliance, uniquely well situated to communicate to Government and others on matters pertaining to mental health due to its status as a non-funded, collective, diverse entity committed to the protection of and support of its individual members and to the pursuit of honest and fearless discourse with Government and others.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall strive to gather together information provided by its members and to utilize this information to advance the cause of improving the state of mental health in Newfoundland and Labrador.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall remain perpetually engaged in all avenues of mental health promotion, but shall never forget and will always affirm that it is an empowered, self-supporting alliance of diverse advocates and allies possessed of a uniquely authoritative voice never before heard in Newfoundland and Labrador.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall always speak the truth and will never allow itself to be silenced where others did.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, is an alliance of respect, courtesy and civility which will observe same in its dealings with all, inside and outside.

• That the Community Coalition for Mental Health, shall evermore remain committed to democracy, civility and speaking truth to power while affirming this is our overriding goal and purpose.

We so declare and proclaim this June 3, 2015 at Holy Heart of Mary High School, St. John’s, NL.

- Members of the Community Coalition for Mental Health