This June, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Alberta Division is hosting a conference designed to advance community mental health throughout the province of Alberta.

Now We Are Stronger - A Provincial Conference Advancing Community Mental Health is two days of information exchange and dialogue that will advance the work in our dynamic fields. It brings together the most creative and inspiring mental health thinkers and leaders in the field.

Abstracts will be accepted until January 26, 2018.

Presenters will be notified if their abstracts have been accepted by February 12, 2018

Presenters must agree to be paid registrants of the conference. Honoraria, accomodation and travel reimbursement are not available for presenters.

Indigenous Mental Health Stream
- Showcase successful or emerging programs being offered across the province that support the mental well-being of Alberta's Indigenous Population.  Discussions of challenges, successes and learnings will be helpful to participants' learning experiences.
- Discuss factors and issues important to the successful support of the mental health of our Indigenous population - what challenges are faced and what helps mitigate those challenges.
- Weave other topics of interest into the discussion of Indigneous mental health such as addiction, lived experience, caregiving, etc.

Rural and Remote Community Mental Health Stream
- Accessing addiction and mental health services is challenging, especially in rural and remote areas.  In many cases real or perceived barriers and lack of knowledge often limit access to services and supports needed by individuals and families impacted by mental illness and addiction.
- We are looking for presentations that share your knowledge of and access to services, equity in service delivery, promotin of mental health, prevention of mental illness and general education related to mental wellness to assist in building community capacity.

Child, Youth and Family Mental Health
- Families are impracted by mental health concerns every day in Alberta.  There are specific challenges and barriers faced by children, youth and families within the current mental health system.
- Presentations should provide an understanding of child, youth and family mental health experiences and provide ways to successfully engage with this demographic.  Knowledge of new and emerging supports available to young Albertans and their families are encouraged. 

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Session Format
Conference sessions will be offered in a variety of formats:

• Panel Presentation (60 or 90 minute)
• Poster Presentation
• Solo presentations (30-60-90 minutes)

o A Panel Discussion is a team of panelists that you choose to present on a specific stream.  We recommend that you have no more than 3-4 panelists in your group for a 90 minute timeframe. 
o Solo Presentation – Opportunity to share learnings from a current program or new and emerging supports related to one of the streams.
o Poster Presentation – Poster Presentations will be offered display space at the conference.  You are welcome to bring additional flyers/support documentation for handouts.

Please note: Based on the number of presentations we receive, we may have to combine presentations. If your abstract is not accepted, you may have an opportunity to present a poster presentation.

The presenter may submit multiple abstracts for the conference. One submission for each presentation. When your abstract is accepted, we will reach out for your full abstract and your AV/Tech needs.

All submissions will be evaluated using the following criteria:
- Relevance to the conference theme
- Clarity and coherence of submission
- Relevance and utility to participants
- Evidence that the submission will encourage interaction with conference participants
- It is encouraged that presenters include a lived experience component or perspective where relevant.

ACCEPTANCE AS A PRESENTER:
- Presenters must register and pay to attend the conference. Honoraria and travel reimbursement are not available.
- Presenters will be asked to submit an electronic version of their presentation prior to the conference.
- Electronic copies of the presentations will be made available to conference delegates following the conference on the CMHA Alberta website in pdf format.
- Presenters are encouraged to provide and are responsible for providing written material to conference participants (your powerpoint and/or resources, etc.)
- Presenters will be provided with a designated time to present by the conference committee.

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