The executive director of CMHA Central will be moving on this fall to a new position with the organization's national office. Jordan Friesen says he'll be working with a team based out of Toronto to help develop and implement services all across the country which are geared toward workplace mental health. Friesen notes the economic cost of mental health in Canada is approximately fifty-one billion dollars, adding more than half of that number directly costs workplaces in terms of absenteeism, turnover and high use of benefits. He says the mental health of employees across our country could use some improvement and the Canadian Mental Health Association is well positioned to assist employers to do just that.

Friesen adds his goal in his new role is to build on existing programs and leverage partnerships with organizations like Great West Life, which has wonderful tools to help its employees understand workplace mental health. He says the chance to be able to focus on the big picture is very exciting, noting he hopes that over the next few years CMHA will be able to reach not just large, national employers, but also small local ones as well.

Friesen says his time at CMHA Central over the past two years has been a truly valuable learning experience for him, personally as well as professionally. He notes he's most proud of the team they've been able to develop, which is comprised of a strong group of individuals who really understand mental health and mental illness and who are committed to supporting people's recovery. Friesen adds he's also very proud of some of the new programs they've begun, including the pilot project which delivers "Mile 5" to school divisions, and the work the board of directors has done in developing its own model of governance. He says all of these things will position the organization well going forward as a new executive director joins the team.

Friesen notes the board is actively recruiting now and they anticipate having someone in place by the middle of August. He adds he'll stay on through the summer as executive director in a slightly reduced capacity, but will be available to help with the transition so the individual who comes into the role next has a good idea of who CMHA Central is and where it's heading.