COF Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions Care Award

 

In February of 2022, Canada’s Premiers announced the Council of the Federation (COF) Award for Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions Care. 

Presented in each province and territory for an initiative that positively impacts mental health and addictions care, this new Award recognizes and supports one individual or organization from each jurisdiction that excels in the field.

Award recipients receive a certificate signed by their Premier and a $5,000 prize to advance the initiative and to foster further innovation. This one-time Award provides recognition and support for non-governmental, private sector, academic, and Indigenous-led initiatives.

The Northwest Territories' recipient of the Award for Innovation in Mental Health and Addictions Care is Supporting Wellbeing, an emerging training program that aims to provide tools and resources to better prepare land-based programming providers to respond to mental health challenges that occur on the land. The program will better prepare service providers to mitigate and respond to mental health challenges in remote environments during on the land programs. During training, leaders will be exposed to several topics when planning and delivering trauma informed on the land programs, including intergenerational trauma, suicide intervention, conflict resolution, and participant aftercare.

Promising Practices

In spring 2021, the Council of Federation launched Promising Practices, a 13-episode podcast series to highlight innovative initiatives in mental health and addictions in each province and territory. Building on the success of the podcast, this Award demonstrates Premiers’ continued commitment to encouraging further innovation in this area and to reducing the stigma of mental illness.

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