Media Advisory - Canadian Mental Health Community Gathers at the Champions of Mental Health Awards in Ottawa

OTTAWA, May 1, 2015 /CNW/ -

WHO:	The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) will celebrate the 2015 Champions of Mental Health at its annual gala presented by Bell Let's Talk. Helping honour this year's Champions are special guests Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Mrs. Sharon Johnston, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health, emcee Michael Landsberg, host of TSN's Off The Record, and Sean McCann, of Great Big Sea.
	CAMIMH is pleased to announce today that as of 2016, the Youth Award will be renamed the 'The Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award for Youth' in honour of Mrs. Johnston's contribution to mental health in Canada.

The winners of the 2015 Champions of Mental Health Awards are:

Community Organization:	DIFD is a youth initiative run out of The Royal in Ottawa, which aims to support programs and initiatives in youth mental health, and most specifically suicide prevention. The organization was founded by Luke and Stephanie Richardson following the tragic loss of their daughter, Daron, to suicide.
Community Individual:	Mr. Robb Nash is a musician who altered his own course to stardom following a serious accident. He now uses his talent and experience to speak with students in schools, youth detention facilities and First Nations communities across Canada, inspiring them to live lives of purpose. Using the power of music and story, Robb speaks to students about difficult topics such as bullying, addiction, hopelessness, self harm and suicide. He is an innovative leader in the field of youth mental health, and has brought a message of hope and purpose to almost 1 million young people across the country.
Media:	Mr. Ted Michaels is a newscaster on AM 900 CHML radio in Hamilton, Ontario and is the voice helping to reduce the stigma around mental illness with his radio series, Wellness Wednesdays.
Parliamentarian:	Senator Denise Batters has been an active supporter of mental health and suicide prevention. In the past five years, she has organized several charity events in honour of her late husband, former Member of Parliament Dave Batters, who suffered from anxiety and depression and died by suicide in 2009.
Workplace Mental Health:	Spectra Energy launched its "Open Minds" wellness program in 2014 for its 3700 employees in Canada. The program's success centers around customized workplace mental health training, broad awareness campaigns and wide-ranging resources for employees, leaders and their families.
Youth:	Mr. Patrick Hickey is a grade 12 student in St-John's, Newfoundland and co-chair of "Mental Health Matters – a whisper to a scream," a provincial mental wellness conference hosted by Holy Heart of Mary. Patrick also sits on the steering committee for the Community Coalition For Mental Health as the Youth Outreach coordinator.
WHERE:	Shaw Centre, Ottawa
WHEN:	Tuesday May 5^th, 2015 | 5:30pm- 9:30pm      6:15pm Photo Opportunity with Their Excellencies and The Champions of Mental Health

CAMIMH would to thank their generous sponsors who make this campaign possible:  Bell Let's Talk, Lundbeck Canada, The Mental Health Commission of Canada and Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (Rx&D).

Established in 1998, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) is an alliance of mental health organizations comprised of health care providers and organizations representing persons with mental illness and their families and caregivers. CAMIMH's mandate is to ensure that mental health is placed on the national agenda so that persons with a lived experience of mental illness and their families receive appropriate access to care and support.

SOURCE Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health

To learn more about CAMIMH's campaigns, please visit camimh.ca or contact: Alexandra Dionne Charest, E-mail: [email protected], Telephone: [phone] ext.232, Cell: 514 583-9359