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$7 Million Gift from G. Raymond Chang to Further Research at CAMH $5 million donation will support new inpatient centre for youth McCain Family gift supports vision for CAMH Redevelopment CIBC The T.R. Meighen Family The Labatt Family The Beamish Family

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$5 million donation will support new inpatient centre for youth

 

On Monday, June 29, the CAMH Foundation announced a generous gift of $5 million from the estates of Ken Thomson and his sister Audrey Campbell. The donation will be used to build a new inpatient centre for youth with concurrent disorders—the first of its kind in Canada. The centre will house 12 inpatient beds and provide services to complement and expand the current outpatient and day-hospital services of CAMH’s Child, Youth and Family Program. 

 

Through this donation, the Thomson family—one of the most respected and recognized families in Canada—has demonstrated its leadership and commitment in addressing the historic stigma attached to mental health and addictions.

 

Thanks to this exceptional family and their donation, CAMH will be able offer more young people better care: care that will change the course of a young person’s life and, potentially, prevent a lifetime of suffering.

 

“We are pleased that members of the Thomson family have come together to help CAMH achieve something so important to Canadians,” said Darrell Gregersen, President & CEO, CAMH Foundation. “Historically, mental illness and addiction have been misunderstood causes, and with the help of this significant donation, the family has shown genuine leadership and commitment to addressing a longstanding inequity.”

 

This centre is urgently needed. At any given time, approximately 1.2 million Canadian children under age 19 have a mental illness that impedes their ability to live their lives fully; half of these children also have serious drug or alcohol problems.  Similarly, up to 75 per cent of youth with addiction problems also have mental health concerns. 

 

The new centre will enable CAMH to reach an additional 220 to 250 youth each year. It will also be the source of pioneering research that will establish models of care for programs across Canada.

 

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