We Believe in Uniting Minds.
It's time to rethink how we approach mental health in Canada - not just with ideas from within the healthcare space, but through collaboration and bold action with partners from various sectors. By combining different perspectives and skills, we can work together to create a better, more effective system for everyone.
Why now?
1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Mental health support in Canada is disjointed, which creates a daunting and unnecessary struggle for those who need help—especially when it’s needed most.
We Believe in Being Intentional.
Converge takes an evidence-informed, multi-pronged approach to create change
Seeing the Larger System.
By viewing population change and early interventions on a broad systems level, we can make a difference. We identify what's working well in Canada's Mental Health sectors and seek to accelerate and scale these solutions.
Cultivating Reflective and Generative Conversations.
Coordinating sector wide conversations on industry topics
Connecting Coalition members who are working on aligned projects to ensure knowledge sharing and translation
Promoting the activities of Coalition Members so that ideas can be shared across the country
Fostering a Solution Spirit.
Shifting collective focus from reactive problem solving to proactive interventions to co-create the future
Facilitating Solution Sprints to rapidly generate and refine ideas
We Believe in Bringing Professionals Together.
We are bringing together diverse players such as health care providers and agencies, nonprofit organizations, research and academic institutions, technology businesses, and government decision-makers who are making a difference in accessing mental health support in Canada. We seek to harness all the different voices working in this space to create better solutions, while learning from one another through our cultural and professional differences and community diversity.
Mental Health Providers and Agencies
Converge provides a platform for Mental Health providers and agencies to share their ideas and catalyze large-scale, system-level change across the country.
Research, Technology and Education Agencies
Agencies working adjacent to Mental Health can contribute their unique perspective and expertise. Your input identifies and addresses critical weaknesses and blind spots in the Mental Health system.
Government Policy Decision Makers
We want to help create policies that promote a more seamless, accessible, and effective Mental Health system in Canada. By partnering with us, you can tap into our collective to make informed decisions that address the gaps and challenges within the Mental Healthcare system.
Our Collective
Impact Approach.
Converge acts as the backbone agency, convener of conversations and conduit to other organizations who may also be interested in participating in the work, or that will benefit from the findings of the research.
The studies presented represent the work done since Converge's inception and the various organizations that were involved in bringing this work to light.
Current Initiatives:
Have a Topic You Want to discuss or a Project You Want to Propose?
Explore our Impact!
Our Coalition members benefit from shared knowledge that can be applied in their own organizations. By contributing, you are affecting positive change for Mental Healthcare.
Converge's research is not done in a silo. All of our projects bring together a variety of stakeholders to design and participate in the study. The goal of the research is to provide Coalition members with market research as well as academically sound studies to help build the business cases for their work, develop advocacy and public policy initiatives and to propose collaborative solutions.
Our research projects are developed by Coalition members who are seeking robust information to further their business cases, advance the discourse on effective mental health service delivery or identify new opportunities for collaboration. The findings from these studies provide recommendations for Coalition members and others to adopt (or adapt) within their own spheres of practice.
Supporting Enhanced Collaboration between Organizations Providing Mental Health Services
downloadUnderstanding the Current Landscape of Emerging Adult Mental Health Services and Needs in Calgary and Surrounding Areas
downloadCONVERGE Mental Health Case Study Summary: Zero Waitlists for Mental Health Supports in Calgary, AB
downloadReport on Findings and Implications for an Ethical Decision-Making Framework for Information Sharing
downloadThe resources listed below have been developed through Converge research projects or as part of a Coalition activity/presentation.
Cybersecurity Policy developed by Islamic Family & Social Services Association
Read PolicyRead PolicyFrom our various research initiatives a number of recommendations were brought forward. Some of these recommendations were further developed by Converge.
Enhancing Collaboration in the Mental Health Care Sector: THE INFORMATION SHARING FRAMEWORK Learning Sessions
Do you provide supports to individuals or families dealing with mental health issues, and need to collaborate with other organizations that also provide care, but don’t know if privacy legislation allows you to?
Development of a Preparatory Standardized Program That Defines the Foundational Skills for Student Services
This collaborative project will identify the skills, knowledge and competencies required to support adolescent mental health (ages 12-18) through the education system, and will result in a preparatory standardized program that defines the foundational skills for student services. It will also improve navigation of the Mental Health and wellness system for students and families by confirming the appropriate referral pathways to external partners.
What is the Information Sharing framework?
The Information Sharing Framework is a set of tools to support a constellation of individuals, organizations and industries who are entering into a working arrangement that requires client/patient/organization data to be shared in order to support or advance the care of the individual and/or their caregiver. The agencies involved have unique perspectives on a shared challenge or opportunity.
Watch this section for Coalition Member Events and Converge Updates
Stronger Together: Converge Launches Fundraising Campaign
Building off of the generous seed capital from the Hunter Family Foundation, the Converge $7.5M capital campaign is reaching out to impact investors with a focus on bringing leaders in Mental Health care together to identify solutions to the delivery of mental health services.
7th International Association for Youth Mental Health Conference
March 19 - 21, 2025. Creating a global blueprint for prevention and integrated care in Youth Mental Health. The IAYMH's mission is to change the way the global community thinks about young people and their mental health. Unlike traditional medical research conferences, this event is planned and delivered in partnership with young people.
Abridge Workplace Suicide Prevention Public Session
Thursday December 5 and Thursday December 12, 2024, 1-2pm MST. Training includes a 1-hour session to explain the benefits of suicide prevention in the workplace and introduce key resources. Participants are given 1 week to complete the 2 hour "Start" online self-directed course and then attend a second 1-hour session to debrief and learn how to apply their learning in their workplace. Participants integrate the 4 steps for workplace suicide prevention: Prepare - Respond - Inform/Report - Debrief.
7th Annual Mental Health Summit
Wednesday December 4, 2024. 8:30 am - 5 pm MST. Take the day to go on a wellness adventure! Build your road map to wellness by working with experts in their fields in a round table world cafe setting.
AgKnow Suicide Prevention Virtual Workshop
November 13th 1-3pm MST: Join the Alberta Farm Mental Health Network for a virtual training workshop focused on suicide risk awareness and prevention within the agricultural community.
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