Know an Exceptional Mental Health Advocate or Researcher? Nominate them today! CAMIMH Opens Nominations for the 2018 Champions Awards

OTTAWA, Jan. 15, 2018 /CNW/ - The Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) has opened its online portal for nominations for the Champions of Mental Health Awards. The Champions Awards is an annual gala devoted to recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations for their contributions to mental health.

This year, nominations will be accepted in the following categories:

1. The Sharon Johnston Champion of Mental Health Award for Youth - Any Canadian 21 and younger who has shown leadership in his or her community in promoting mental health and/or mental illness awareness, or any organization dedicated to providing services for youth
2. Media - Any media personality or outlet who has contributed to public awareness of mental health or mental illness awareness
3. Workplace Mental Health - Any employer or employee who has contributed to creating a mentally healthy workplace for staff
4. Community Organization - Any organization that has provided great public service to community members experiencing mental illness
5. Community Individual - Any person, who through personal commitment, has increased awareness about mental illness or reduced stigma in his or her community
6. Parliamentarian - Any provincial or federal Parliamentarian who has advanced the mental health agenda in Canada
7. Innovation- Researcher or Clinician - An innovative person or organization that through their work has advanced the mental health agenda in Canada

"We are always so impressed by the amount and quality of nominee applications we receive each year," said Fred Phelps, CAMIMH Campaign Chair. "The Champions Awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of exceptional thought leaders in the mental health community. We are very excited to see what kinds of projects Canadians have taken on this past year and we look forward to reading all the nominations."

CAMIMH encourages Canadians to nominate their peers by completing the online nomination form. To nominate a Champion, please visit camimh.ca. Submissions will be accepted until February 23, 2018. The awards will be held on May 8, 2018 at Shaw Centre in Ottawa.

CAMIMH would like to recognize its sponsors who make the Champions Awards a success each year: Bell Let's Talk (Presenting Sponsor), the Mental Health Commission of Canada (Gold Sponsor), Lundbeck Canada Inc.  (Silver Sponsor), Innovative Medicines Canada (Bronze Sponsor) and Impact Public Affairs (Silver Sponsor). We thank all that apply and will contact the winners in early March.

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