T
he Bhayana Family Foundation
Awards recognize the dedicated
contributions of front-line agency
staff at United Way funded agencies.
There are three award categories that
celebrate the creativity, leadership
and collaboration within the nonprofit sector. Callum Ross, Lead for
Advocacy and Policy Development at
CMHA - Calgary was awarded the
Leadership Award in a special ceremony
for his superior team-based results.
Stigma continues to be one of the
most common and tangible barriers for
anyone experiencing a mental health
issue attempting to socialize and
integrate into the wider community. This
can prevent or hinder individuals from
accessing suitable resources, receiving
appropriate care, and ultimately, from
recovering from their illness.
One program integral to advancing
CMHA - Calgary’s mission is Advocacy,
supporting those who have no other
connection to the mental health system,
Advocacy empowers some of Calgary’s
most vulnerable community members
by helping them overcome challenges,
identify opportunities and maintain
their human rights. Advocacy is the
only mental health community program
of its kind: Intentionally structured
to be accessible, Advocacy has no
requirements or forms to fill out.
Under his passionate leadership, the
program has gained both momentum
and recognition. In addition to leading
several projects, Ross personally
supported over a thousand individuals
with a mental health service need over
the past year. He did this through
one-on-one support via phone, email
or in face-to-face meetings, assisting
with issues such as residential tenancy
complaints, health care and finances.
Ross helps Calgarians navigate the
often daunting mental health system
and facilitates access to resources and
community supports.
Ross has also actively fostered new
partnerships
with
many
Calgary
agencies, including the Calgary Police
Service and Alberta Health Services.
He is the CMHA - Calgary team lead for
the SORCe and SIMBY (Safe in My Back
Yard) initiatives, collaborative projects
that reduce stigma and provide support
to vulnerable community members. He
also worked with the Mental Health
Patient Advocate Office and Alberta
Human Rights Commission to cultivate
provincial guidelines around the release
of a person’s mental health status in
their police background check.
Because of the collective effort, only
ei