Mental Health Commission of Canada call for Youth Council applications
The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) recognizes that empowering and collaborating with youth is essential to improving our mental health care system, with as many as 70 per cent of young adults living with mental health problems or illnesses reporting that symptoms started in childhood.
We are currently seeking applications for two new members of the Youth Council.
The MHCC has been engaging young Canadians through our Youth Council since 2008, asking members to provide input on the MHCC’s anti-stigma research initiative, homelessness and mental health project, its Mental Health Strategy for Canada, and its former Advisory Committee projects.
The MHCC’s Youth Council is an inclusive, safe space that values diverse perspectives and backgrounds.
We are looking for youth who have lived experience with mental illness, or who have experienced the mental health system through a family member or friend.
Members of the Youth Council, who commit to a minimum 24-month term, must be at least 18 years old but no older than 25 at the start of their term.
Members will be asked to participate in various projects within the MHCC in order to provide youth representation and perspectives. The Youth Council is also in the process of developing a youth-focused version of the Mental Health Strategy for Canada, a project that aims to advance system change
recommendations as defined by young people across Canada.
Participation on the Youth Council involves travelling to three national, face-to-face meetings per year and corresponding via email or teleconference with other members and MHCC staff. An honorarium will be provided to Youth Council members. All expenses related to participation in the Youth Council, including travel and accommodations to attend meetings, are paid for by the MHCC.
This year, we are looking for youth representation from across Canada and from diverse backgrounds, including:
Siblings or family caregivers
New Canadians
First Nations/Inuit/Métis
Residents in northern Canada
People with diverse educational backgrounds
Youth in care
To apply, please submit the following to the address listed below: 1) Your name, address, and contact information (email, phone); 2) A paragraph or two describing yourself and how your past experiences have prepared you for a position with the Youth Council; 3) A paragraph or two outlining how you would be a strong member of the Youth Council; 4) If possible, a letter of reference or other relevant material that you feel would strengthen your application.
Instead of, or complementary to, the written section, applicants may submit a creative representation, such as a video (approx. 5 minutes), photo-essay, poem, short story, drawing, or painting.
This call for members is open until 5pm (MST) on Friday January 10, 2014. Short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview by phone or over Skype. The first meeting of the new Youth Council will take place in the spring of 2014.
Visit our webpage to learn more about the Youth Council and for more information on current members:
http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/mhcc-youth-council
Please send your application by email, fax, or regular mail to:
Mental Health Commission of Canada Attn: Christopher Canning
Suite 320, 110 Quarry Park Blvd, SE Calgary, Alberta, T2C 3G3
Email: ccanning@mentalhealthcommission.ca Fax: 403.385.4044
The views represented herein solely represent the views of the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
Production of this document is made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.
