CMHA TALK TODAY PROGRAM
The Ontario Hockey League is proud of the strong partnership it maintains with the Canadian Mental Health Association that began with the launch of the “Talk Today” program in 2014. Each OHL team has an assigned a CMHA representative to provide additional support to players, staff or billets wherever required. The information for such representative will be provided by each OHL team.
The OHL Talk Today Program is a partnership between the OHL and the Canadian Mental Health Association that provides mental health support and training to all players, staff and billets. Launched in 2014, the program includes a 3-hour seminar on mental health support and raises awareness about mental health and suicide throughout the OHL’s twenty communities. Additionally, each OHL member team and all of its members are provided access to an individual Canadian Mental Health Association representative should any additional support be required.
The partnership has also expanded to include a mental health awareness seminar as part of the OHL/OHF Under-15 Program of Excellence and now includes partnerships among the 60 Canadian Hockey League franchises.
OHL Member Teams are to coordinate their Talk Today seminar with their local branch.
About the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division:
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario is a not-for-profit, charitable organization funded by the provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. We work to improve the lives of all Ontarians through leadership, collaboration and continual pursuit of excellence in community-based mental health and addictions services. Our vision is a society that embraces and invests in the mental health of all people. We are a trusted advisor to government, contributing to health systems development through policy formulation and recommendations that promote positive mental health. Our 29 local CMHA branches, together with community-based mental health and addictions service providers across the province, serve approximately 500,000 Ontarians each year.
About the Ontario Hockey League:
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. Last season, more than nine million fans attended CHL games in the regular season, playoffs and at the Memorial Cup. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U Sports than any other league. For more information visit www.ontariohockeyleague.com.
Talk Today is a mandatory program that works in conjunction with the OHL’s other league programs in areas such as drug awareness, health and safety education, respect for women, and has become an important piece of the league’s ‘Players First’ guide.