About Us
The Consumer Involvement and Initiatives is an umbrella program that amplifies the consumer/peer or service user voice within Vancouver Community Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Vancouver Coastal Health.
Consumer Involvement: Refers to the participation of consumers in various activities such as research, representation on boards and committees, strategic development, and general employment opportunities, aimed at engaging them in the organization’s operations.
Consumer Initiatives: Refers to a range of services and programs that are designed and led by consumers/peers, aimed at providing creative opportunities to support recovery and encourage individuals to explore activities that promote wellness.
Our Partners
Canadian Mental Health Association | Vancouver Fraser
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Canadian Mental Health Association | North + West Vancouver
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SMH Comedy Society
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Looking Glass Foundation
Visit their websiteInitiatives
Consumer Initiative Fund
The Consumer Initiative Fund is a unique and progressive program that funds and supports projects that are proposed, managed, and led by people with lived experience with mental illness and/or addiction.
Learn MorePeer Support
Peer support is emotional and practical support between two people who share a common experience, such as a mental health challenge or illness.
Learn MorePeer Led Workshops
Free virtual and in-person workshops and support groups with a focus on recovery and well-being.
Learn MoreRecovery College YVR
Recovery College YVR (RC YVR) is a community wellness learning centre developed collaboratively by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) North & West Vancouver Branch and Vancouver Coastal Health’s (VCH) Consumer Involvement and Initiatives program.
Learn morePrograms
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Your Recovery Journey
The program offers five free interactive weekly sessions, each two hours long, and all facilitated by people in recovery who can give you valuable information that will help you on your recovery journey. You’ll also learn how to find peer support and build new life skills.
- Start
- Friday, August 2, 2024
- End
- Friday, August 30, 2024
- Time
- 2:00 – 4:00 PM
- Location
- Room 202 – 520 West 6th Ave, Vancouver, BC
Open
Voices & Visions Support Groups
We can live well with unique sensory experiences. All groups are open to those with lived/living experience and their supporters.
- Dates
- Varying
- Times
- Varying
- Locations
- Zoom or In-Person
Open
Plan for Wellness & Recovery
Develop an individualized plan to help maintain wellness and manage periods of feeling unwell.
- Start
- Thursday, August 1, 2024
- End
- Thursday, August 29, 2024
- Time
- 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- Location
- Zoom
Open
Feeling Supported
The program offers five free interactive weekly sessions, each two hours long, and all facilitated by people in recovery who can give you valuable information that will help you on your recovery journey. You’ll also learn how to find peer support and build new life skills.
- Start
- Friday, July 19, 2024
- End
- Friday, July 19, 2024
- Time
- 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- Location
- Zoom
Open
Talking With Your Doctor
In this 1.5-hour workshop, we learn how to communicate more effectively with our doctor(s) and other health care providers.
- Start
- Wednesday, August 21, 2024
- End
- Wednesday, August 21, 2024
- Time
- 2:00 – 3:30 PM
- Location
- Room 123 – Three Bridges Community Health Centre (1128 Hornby St, Vancouver, BC)
