More than 200 CMHA staff from across the province gathered in Toronto this week to discuss quality improvement and mental health in Ontario. 
Presented as a pre-conference program to the CMHA National Mental Health for All conference, CMHA Ontario’s Measuring Our Success event focused on the ongoing, collective effort to measure the impact of community-based mental health programs and services.
CMHA Ontario was honoured to have Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Dr. Robert Bell open the conference. The day’s inspirational keynote speakers included Dr. Dave Williams, record-breaking astronaut and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre; and Dr.Cheryl Forchuk, Associate Director of Nursing Research at Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, University of Western Ontario.
The aim of the conference was for CMHA branches to share quality improvement and measurement initiatives from across the province. Throughout the day, 30 presenters from CMHA branches shared their innovative programs and initiatives, including sessions on:
- The Excellence for Quality Improvement project (E-QIP)
- The Data and Performance Measurement Task Group for Mental Health and Addictions in Ontario
- The Ethics of Quality Improvement
An evening reception following the conference featured distinguished guests: Ontario Treasury Board President Liz Sandals; Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn; John Fraser, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care; Alex Bezzina, Deputy Minister of Children and Youth Services; and, Nancy Naylor, Associate Deputy Minister, Delivery and Implementation at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.
Conference participation extended beyond delegates attending in person, as highlights from the CMHA Ontario conference were shared live as they occurred, using the hashtag #MH4A16. More than 90,000 twitter users followed along and participated from across Canada.