In any given year, 1 in 5 people in Canada will experience a mental illness. Mental health concerns affect people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. It indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, a friend, a colleague, or personal experience.
Enhancing the potential of people with a mental health concern to pursue educational supports is a focus for the Canadian Mental Health Association. Our education program focuses on delivering education related to recovery, resilience, and hope. Sessions are intended for individuals with mental illnesses, family members, service providers, and anyone interested in overall wellness.
Education Focus Areas
- Relationships and Communication
- Mental Health Services and Treatment
- Workplace Mental Health
- Mental Health Recovery and Wellness
Focused Education for Employers and Community Groups
Based on requests from employers and community groups, one-time educational sessions, usually 1-3 hours in length, are presented throughout Central Alberta. Fees are dependent on the length of the presentation and other factors. CMHA has a menu of available workshops. We welcome opportunities to customize educational programs to meet the needs of businesses and organizations.
CMHA Support Groups
Support groups at CMHA provide opportunities for people who have been-there-done-that to share and learn from each other with assistance from experienced CMHA staff. There is no fee to attend our support groups.
Public Education Sessions
Our public education presentations are held at various community venues throughout Central Alberta. These free workshops are open to the public. CMHA also participates in health fairs.
CMHA Mental Health & Wellness Courses
Meeting four to eight times, a CMHA course provides an in depth way to learn new skills and strategies in a focused way and to meet a particular need. We offer both daytime and evening courses thought the year. Currently our health and wellness courses are free of charge to anyone living in Central Alberta.
Suicide Intervention and Prevention Programs
Attending a two-day ASIST course trains people to intervene with an individual who is suicidal. We also offer the half day “tune-ups” that are required to maintain certification. Other suicide intervention and prevention programs for specific age groups are offered periodically. Suicide Intervention and Prevention Programs have associated fees/tuition. Bursaries may be available to individuals with financial barriers who wish to take the workshops.
About Our Programs
CMHA educational programs take place at the Learning Annex and at various community locations during daytime and evening hours. Some programming occurs on the weekend. Although there are fees associated with some of this programming, no one is ever turned away for financial reasons.
Some of our most popular educational programming
- Suicide Intervention and Prevention Workshops
- Art of Friendship 8 Week Course
- Living Life to the Full: 8 Week Workshops
- Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) 8 week Course
- Facilitator Training, 2 Day Training
- Friendship Circle, Weekly Sup[port Group
- Caregiver Connections Support Group
CMHA courses are open to the community-at-large. We have found that some people have a better learning experience when CMHA staff can talk to them about their expectations and specific needs. We can help people choose the right course, make recommendations, and answer questions. You can call us at 403-342-2266.
Call CMHA at 403-342-2266 for more information or complete our contact form below.
CMHA Learning Annex
First Red Deer Place (ATB Building)
4911- 51 Street, Suite 404
Red Deer, AB T4N 6V4
CMHA Central Alberta Programs and Services are funded by The Government of Canada, United Way Central Alberta, Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health, the Government of Alberta, Lifelong Learning Council of Red Deer, and the City of Red Deer.