We are pleased to announce that, effective July 22, 2024, Community Action Initiative Society of BC (“CAI”) – which previously worked with Canadian Mental Health Association, B.C. Division (“CMHA BC”) to receive and disseminate grants – began receiving and disseminating funds as a fully independent organization. This means that, going forward, CAI will be disseminating grant funds independently.
CAI’s mandate to serve the mental health and substance use sectors remains unchanged, and the impact on grantees and partners will be minimal. Notably, CAI’s separation from CMHA BC included a full assignment of rights and responsibilities from CMHA BC to CAI in relation to both the project funding agreements with the Province of BC and the subproject and other grant agreements with grantees: CAI has assumed all liabilities and obligations with respect to these agreements. New contracts do not need to be signed between CAI and the grantees to reflect this change, but we wanted to alert you to this transition because the organizational name on our cheques/ other funding documents will be CAI and CAI will be the sole party to new contracts with you going forward. We will also be reaching out to you, as may be required, in order to update the documents we have on file to facilitate the granting process (i.e. updated EFT forms in CAI’s name).
This evolution in CAI’s capacity is a moment for reflection and celebration. Over the next few months, CAI will be rolling out a new grant infrastructure, a new look and feel, and multiple new granting opportunities. CAI would like to thank CMHA BC for its support and partnership over the last 14 years. The mental health and substance use sector has undergone many changes, and CMHA BC has provided us with support and guidance. CAI looks forward to continuing to work alongside CMHA BC, the Province of BC, Health Sciences Association and all of you to create new ways forward for all British Columbians who see the community mental health and substance use sector as an integral part of the health and care system for them and their loved ones.
A little bit about our history:
CAI is an incorporated non-profit organization established to support the capacity of the mental health and substance use sector. Its origin goes back to 2008 when the Ministry of Health Services (now Ministry of Health) provided $10 million to the BC Mental Health Foundation to establish the “Community Action Initiative”, with a mission to support community activities to promote mental health, prevent substance use related harms, and advance innovative service delivery for people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges. In 2010, CAI began working with CMHA BC to receive and disseminate funds, i.e. all funding allocated by government ministries has been held on behalf of CAI by CMHA BC. CAI became separately incorporated under the BC Societies Act in 2020.
Today, the Province of BC partners with CAI to deliver key projects that respond to the toxic drug crisis and support the recovery sector and community counselling. Priority initiatives include the Community Action Teams, the Provincial Peer Network, the Community Counselling Fund, and the new Indigenous Capacity Grants for the recovery sector.