Who is CHANNAL?
Consumers’ Health Awareness Network Newfoundland And Labrador (CHANNAL) is a provincial organization that exists to build and strengthen a self-help network among individuals who live with mental health issues. CHANNAL’s aim is to combat isolation for those living with mental illness, to provide a forum for mental health consumers’ concerns, to educate the public on issues relevant to mental health consumers and to offer advocacy, social and emotional support to mental health consumer/survivors.
What are the goals of CHANNAL?
• To build and strengthen a self-help network among individuals living with mental health issues
• To combat isolation for those living with mental issues by offering social and emotional support through self-help
• To increase consumer/survivor participation in mental health reform; and to offer a forum for consumer/survivors’ concerns to work towards improving the mental health system
• To education the public on issues relevant to mental health consumer/survivors
• To offer advocacy in order to combat stigma and discrimination towards those living with mental health issues
• To provide opportunities for skill building for consumer/survivors
Who does CHANNAL support?
A consumer/survivor is any person who has or is experiencing mental health mental health issues/difficulties and has or is accessing mental health services.
When did CHANNAL Start?
In 1989 CHANNAL was Sponsored by CMHA-NL. Moyra Buchan and James Fardy worked to create a safe place where individuals living with mental illness could talk to each other, receive support from one another and learn from one another how to live a full and rewarding life.
In 1994 it was decided at a provincial conference that CHANNAL would work toward independence from CMHA-NL. It took several years before this would happen. Finally in April 26th 2006 CHANNAL became independent from CMHA-NL.
