BMO Marks World Mental Health Day with $5 Million to CAMH to Drive Innovation in Research for Mental Health

• The donation will support independent research in CAMH's Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (KCNI) and help build a new leading research centre.

TORONTO, Oct. 11, 2023  /CNW/ - BMO marked World Mental Health Day this year with a $5 million donation to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto. The donation will support independent research in CAMH's Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics (KCNI) and help build a new leading Research & Discovery Centre, which is set to begin construction in 2024.

BMO Marks World Mental Health Day with $5 Million to CAMH to Drive Innovation in Research for Mental Health (CNW Group/BMO Financial Group)

Together with CAMH, BMO's donation will help people living with mental illness by accelerating research and access to world-class mental health care through four strategic priorities: neuroinformatics, digital health innovation, education, and research. The KCNI collaborates globally to collect and integrate large-scale brain research data, applying machine learning and mathematics, to develop models that can transform the understanding of brain disorders.

In any given year, one-in-five Canadians experience a mental illness and by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, one-in-two have or have had, a mental illness¹. In Canada, more than 6.7 million people currently struggle with mental illness, making it the leading cause of disability – preventing nearly 500,000 employed Canadians from attending work each week². Alarming statistics like these highlight the need to take action.

"There is an urgent need for significant investment in mental health research – including new models of care that increase access and eliminate inequities – to ensure people get the help they deserve," said Sharon Haward-Laird, Group Head & General Counsel and Executive Champion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, BMO. "BMO has a long-standing record of supporting community organizations and funding mental health. We are proud to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life and work with partners like CAMH to make progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society."

"We are grateful to BMO for their continued support of CAMH and life-saving mental health research," said Deborah Gillis, President & CEO, CAMH Foundation. "Philanthropic commitments from leading organizations like BMO show Canadians and people living with mental illness around the world that they are seen, they are valued and they are not alone in their recovery."

October 10 is World Mental Health Day, an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. Since its inception in 1992, the World Mental Health organization has worked to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health – a mission that's observed in more than 150 countries to date.

BMO and CAMH

• BMO has proudly supported CAMH with over $10 million in gifts since 1985. 
• In 2020, BMO partnered with CAMH to launch the first-of-its-kind Workplace Mental Health Playbook for Business Leaders and later participated in developing the supplement resource titled Navigating the New Normal: A COVID-19 Supplement to CAMH's Mental Health Playbook for Business Leaders.

BMO in the community

• Over the last decade, BMO has contributed more than $23 million to enable access to mental health care programming, infrastructure and research in Canada. This includes supporting the important work of mental health and wellness organizations such as The Royal Ottawa, Kids Help Phone, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Royal Columbian Hospital, Douglas Institute, Fondation Jeunes en tête, Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia and many more.

BMO Gives. Good grows here.
Helping communities thrive by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. In 2022, our social impact included more than $69 million donated to hundreds of charities and non-profit organizations across North America to help drive progress by enabling individuals to thrive and communities to prosper. Our colleagues spent almost 50,000 hours volunteering in the community and contributed more than $26 million of donations through our annual employee giving program. For more information, please visit BMO.com.

About BMO Financial Group
BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.25 trillion as of July 31, 2023. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to over 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.

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^1	"Mental Illness and Addiction: Facts and Statistics." CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real/mental-health-statistics. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.
^2	"The Mental Health Crisis is Real" CAMH, www.camh.ca/en/driving-change/the-crisis-is-real. Accessed 26 Sept. 2023.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

Media Contact: Kate Simandl, Toronto, [email protected], [phone]; Hannah Webster, Toronto, [email protected], [phone]