Coast Mental Health dedicated the month of July to Courage in 2020. During Courage To Come Back Month, the stories of five British Columbians who have overcome extraordinary adversity to come back and give back to their own communities were be celebrated.

Nominations for the 23rd Courage to Come Back Awards are NOW OPEN!

Do you know someone who has had the COURAGE to come back from adversity? Does this person inspire you and others around them?

Celebrate a courageous person in your life by nominating them to receive a Courage To Come Back Award.

Nomination Deadline: Thursday, January 28th, 2021

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Meet the Recipients of the 2020 Courage To Come Back Awards

Medical Category Recipient - Mariam (Shoogofa) Nasrri

She fled a war-torn country in search of safety, freedom and a chance for a new life…

Addiction Category Recipient - Amanda Staller

Cocaine, Crystal meth, heroin. An escape from her abusive past…

Mental Health Category Recipient - Corey Hirsch

He had it all: the money, the fame, the fast cars…

Physical Rehabilitation Category Recipient - Rumana Monzur

He tried to kill her when she returned to Bangladesh to ask him for a divorce…

Youth Category Recipient - Andrew Teel

‘Failure to Thrive’: the label he was given only months after he was born…

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This year, we're doing things a little differently ... find out more from:

Lorne Segal - Chair of the Courage To Come Back Awards for 15 years

Todd Talbot & Sophie Lui presenting from the comfort of their homes

Coast Mental Health – an independent registered charity – is the largest provider of community-based services for people living with mental illness in British Columbia. Each year, many crucial programs are made possible through donors’ generous support at the annual Courage To Come Back Awards – which raised $2.5 million in 2019.

Your generosity provides outreach services, housing support, food security, mental health support for youth and adults, peer support services, training and employment and many other programs that are vital to the long-term recovery of vulnerable people living with mental illness.

“We are dedicated to celebrating our incredible award recipients during this pandemic. Their stories are true journeys of bravery, resilience and strength in the face of adversity. They will leave you inspired and optimistic and will, I hope, become a weekly dose of Courage in your lives.”

Lorne R. Segal, O.B.C., D.Litt. (Hon.), LL.D. (Hon.), President, Kingswood Properties Ltd. Founding Chair, We Day Vancouver
Chair, Coast Mental Health – Courage To Come Back Awards

Coast Mental Health helps your vulnerable neighbours living with mental illness in their journey to recovery. If you’d like to find out more click here.

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Celebrating Coast Mental Health's Front Line Workers

On any given day, Coast Mental Health has 525 staff members working on the front lines to keep people living with mental illness safe and supporting them on their journey to recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has touched all our lives, and we’re proud of the incredible work of Coast Mental Health’s front-line heroes during this time. Every week, we’ll be highlighting the work of a Coast hero – please join us in celebrating their commitment to improving the lives of our vulnerable neighbours, even in the most challenging of times!

Priority Funding Streams

Residential Enrichment

Through government and provincial funding, Coast Mental Health provides housing support for over 1,200 people living with mental illness. Your support provides value-added services for those residents such as therapeutic gardening and art programs, self defense training, adventure therapy, recreation and outings, bikes, and art, poetry and craft activities. These programs enrich their daily lives – an important part of their recovery journeys.

Food Security and Nutrition

Nobody should go hungry. Period. Your support helps to provide over 474,500 meals a year across Coast Mental Health’s 51 sites, in addition to community cooking sessions that equip clients to budget, plan, and cook healthy meals for themselves. Stable access to healthy food provides a solid foundation for lasting recovery from mental illness.

Leading Edge Programming

Thanks to philanthropic support, Coast Mental Health plays an instrumental role in changing the landscape for mental health in BC and Canada, actively developing, piloting, and establishing best practices for new programs. Your donations provide new ways for clients to pursue recovery, including cutting edge Cognitive Rehabilitation programs such as CBT, DBT and Cognitive Remediation, as well as developing and introducing e-mental health therapies.

We are always exploring new ways to support people living with mental illness in our community. If you are interested in moving the needle for mental health in BC, please contact us to discuss other ideas and approaches.

Frontline Services

Many people living with mental illness are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Thanks to your support, Coast Mental Health provides crucial front-line services such as outreach services – which help connect people with medical and housing services – and services at the Downtown drop-in Resource Centre, which offers low-cost meals, showers and other basic essentials.

Peer Support services enable people living with mental illness to connect with others who have lived experience, while offering those who are further along their recovery journey employment skills, confidence, and experience.

Youth Connection and Mental Health

Your support provides a supportive community and opportunities for Young Adults aged 19-30, ensuring they can maintain connections with critical support services when they age out of traditional youth-facing programs that end at 18. Stability and support are vital for young people living with mental illness to pursue recovery – who may need more resources to build a healthy support network for the first time in their life. Your generosity supports education, training and life skills through programs such as Young Adult Peer Support, the Coast Clubhouse Young Adult Program and a dedicated Youth Social Worker at specific sites.

Community Connections

Community-based care is at the core of Coast Mental Health’s philosophy and your support allows us to continue this important work, whether it’s engaging with the public within our communities or providing clients with training and opportunities to participate in the workforce. Examples include Educational Bursaries, Culinary Skills Training or Volunteer Experience Programs – low-barrier, pre-employment and vocational programs for clients that offer work experience and build life skills.

Your support also provides opportunities to educate and engage with the wider public, through Programs such as the Riverview High School Engagement Program, as well as celebrating clients’ outstanding success in their courageous journeys to recovery.

Greatest Needs

Coast Mental Health’s greatest strength lies in the customization of programming to suit each of our clients’ unique needs. Your support gives us the flexibility and ability to respond to changing circumstances, and to ensure the sustainability of our services now and for years to come.