What is the Council for Community Mental Health?

Traditional governance models often overlook the voices of those most directly affected by mental health challenges. The Lived Experience Governance Model represents a transformative approach that places individuals with lived experience at the centre of decision-making processes, ensuring that systems are responsive to real community needs.

Co-developed by the Council for Community Mental Health (CCMH)—a group composed of individuals with lived experience—alongside the Canadian Mental Health Association, Edmonton Region (Co-lead), City of Edmonton (Co-lead), United Way of the Alberta Capital Region (Co-lead), e4c, Edmonton Chamber of Volunteer Organizations, and EndPovertyEdmonton, this model bridges theoretical frameworks with practical, community-informed solutions.

At its foundation is the Onion Model, a governance framework that positions people with lived experience at its core, surrounded by caregivers, frontline workers, and system organizations. This structure rebalances traditional power dynamics by recognizing lived experience as a form of expertise, highly influential in shaping policy and program decisions.

By embedding lived experience into governance, this model promotes equity, inclusion, and accountability within the mental health and addiction system. It reflects a fundamental shift toward collaborative leadership and the shared goal of creating a mental health system that works for everyone.

The partners invite communities across Alberta to explore and adopt this model as a step toward a more just, equitable, and responsive approach to mental health governance.