The Canadian Mental Health Association BC (CMHA BC) is at a pivotal moment, having grown into a $65 million powerhouse of community care. Now, they are seeking a highly strategic and mission-driven leader to step into the brand-new Chief Programs Officer (CPO) role.
In this exclusive interview, CMHA BC CEO Jonny Morris opens up about the organization’s transformative impact—from innovative, community-led crisis teams that avoid police involvement to provincial-wide employment services. He details why the CPO role is critical, describing it as the “engine of our programs and services,” requiring an agile, strategic collaborator ready to look 7 to 10 years ahead. Discover what it takes to join this leading-edge organization that “does not settle for the status quo.”
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Canadian Mental Health Association BC With Jonny Morris, CEO
I have the great pleasure of speaking with Jonny Morris, who’s the CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association BC. Welcome, Jonny.
Thanks so much for having me back on the show.
CMHA BC Overview: Mission, Structure, And Impact
It is a pleasure to have you back. You and I have spoken a few times now. we’ve done a few searches over the years. It’s a great pleasure to work with you. This time, I have the pleasure of working with you on the Chief Programs Officer search. We’re going to talk all about it. We’re going to talk about the role, the culture, and the organization. That’s start there fundamentally. For those that don’t know about the Canadian Mental Health Association, can you tell me a little bit about it? Who are you? What do you do fundamentally?
We’re one of Canada’s most enduring mental health charities. At the time of this interview, we’re celebrating our 75th Mental Health Week here BC. We’re a national federation. That’s one of the beautiful parts of CMHA. We have a national office that is charged with advocacy at the national level and also stewarding and leading our brand.
Programs Across The Mental Health Care Spectrum (Prevention To Crisis Care)
We have divisions across the provinces in one territory and here in BC. We have the division of the branches. At our core, we are driven to provide high-quality education and training around mental health. We want to reduce stigma. We provide direct service. In 2025, we reached 195,000 people in the BC through our services. We fight for change. We campaign for change. We advocate for change. We believe in transforming the system so that people can truly ask for help once and get it fast.
That advocacy is so important and the passion that you have for the cause and how prevalent mental health discussions are so important. Drilling a bit more specifically into the program area. Maybe you can talk a little bit more about the programs and services that you do offer because we’re going to pivot to the Chief Programs Officer role fundamentally. This has an oversight of the program. Maybe tell me a little bit about the programs and then we’ll get a bit more around the culture and context.
We operate our programs on a spectrum in lots of ways. We start upstream with programs related to promoting good mental health and helping people understand their own mental health. Also, when they might have signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use problem. We have a range of programs in that space. We offer a range of programs in the prevention and early intervention space.
We offer depression care through bounce back and programming for parents and caregivers of little ones with anxiety and people’s challenges. We move further down the stream into areas focus on crisis care. We have a range of programs focused on suicide prevention, crisis care and community. All the way through to overseeing a provincial network of supportive treatment of recovery beds. We have services designed to help people with mental illness find work and stay in work. We’ve done a lot of workplace mental health interventions, too. We’ve grown a lot over the years. We used to be about $9 million to $10 million worth of public service. Now, we’re at $65 million in 2027 and 2026, too.
Canadian Mental Health Association: CMHA BC is one of Canada’s most enduring mental health charities.
That breadth of programs, that spectrum as you said touches on so many different people, walks of life, backgrounds, and needs. It’s quite compelling and quite a wonderful way to support communities and support people for that matter. Going up to that public dialogue, that advocacy role that you talked about. Jonny, you’re such a public presence. You’re such a fighter for mental health in BC, in Canada writ large. Tell me a little bit about that public facing role. That’s the broader advocacy role that you and CMHA play.
It’s in our roots as an organization. We care deeply about a mental health system, including community mental healthcare that meets people where they’re at. We have put out a roadmap, including over 30 recommendations to which we believe would substantially shift care in BC. For example, having more counselors in schools or ensuring that the amount of money that is spent on mental healthcare is higher and more balanced.
We often put out recommendations. We are firmly committed to providing the best advice to reform LOLs and regulations related to mental healthcare. Our campaign and our advocacy voice is so important to who we are and making sure that mental health remains at the top of the priority list for governments, funders and the public.
You’ve achieved so much. You talked about that 75th Mental Health Week and the growth that you’ve achieved. Are there other particular things you’re particularly proud of? As a leader, there’s so much that you can be proud of. You’re naturally such a caring and sharing person. I know you won’t say, “I did this. I did that.” I know you look very much at the collective good fundamentally. Are there any things, either big picture or smaller picture perhaps that have resonated with you that have made you fidget particularly proud of the work you’ve done in recent years?
Transforming Crisis Care And System-Level Impact In BC
I’m proud of the transformative change we’ve made in crisis care and team up. We’re the first co-design and implement a community-led crisis team. These are teams that don’t involve the police. There are community-based teams that respond to people in a mental health crisis. We’re close to 20,000 calls. Nineteen percent of those calls have avoided the need for police and for the first responders to come.
In many ways, it’s a good thing for people in crisis, having a community-based response. We also know that we’re helping to free up resources in other parts of the first responder system, for example. They can address their core mandates. I’m proud of that. I’m proud of our work. Our work, in providing employment services to people, receiving substance use treatment and recovery and some of the beds we oversee. We don’t provide direct beds service, but we oversee a network of over 310 beds.
At nine of those sites, we’ve had employment services. We’re seeing great results when employment services are there. People are in a treatment center. We’re seeing great results of people getting employed and staying employed. Which is so meaningful for a sense of purpose, connections to people and place and around access to housing. I’m proud of those gains. I firmly believe that the programming and efforts at CMHA are life-changing in so many ways. Also, ultimately life-saving for many.
Our campaign and advocacy voice are central to who we are, ensuring that mental health remains a top priority for governments, funders, and the public. Share on XAs you said, so many of these programs also help defeat the stigma or oppose the stigma of mental health in BC, Vancouver, and elsewhere for that matter, too. Is there anything you can share about the future of CMH, Jonny? Are there particular initiatives underway now or in the near future that you think are compelling or exciting? There must be so much that’s going on. I don’t know if you can pick one.
I would anticipate we enjoy strong and enduring trust from our funders including the government. I see our programs and our services becoming even more integral to community-based care. I anticipate us adapting and pivoting to be able to provide more care to people. Particularly for populations that perhaps haven’t received as much attention in the media or in public discourse clearing folks like me who live with depression.
Thinking through how we might improve care in those ways. We understand now is a difficult time for many people in and around cost of living. The crises that are going on in the world and the impact that it has on people to make ends meet. I do anticipate. I’ll work trying to respond to that knowing that mental health and the ability to make ends meet are so intertwined.
Those global forces, as you said. Your BC or organization is part of the federation but global forces have an impact fundamentally at a very fundamental level politics and health are lived experience. Let’s pivot to the chief program officer role. Tell me a bit about the role. It’s a new role. Why have you created it? Why this role? Why now?
Chief Programs Officer Role: Purpose, Scope, And Leadership Expectations
It’s a new role. It’s a exciting role. The positioning of a CPO is designed to give it the stature and the accountability given the breadth and the depth of the programs that will sit within that portfolio. It’s a role that will provide lots of advice and perspective to me and the board. Also, to other colleagues around the imperative to sustain and support and grow out services in good ways. It’s an important role at an important point in time for us in and around continuing to shape, align and support for all of these services that meet people where they’re at in a strong way.
Talk a little bit about the collaborators and the team you have in place now. Who are these persons? Who are the CPOs closest collaborators or teammates? They’re working in such a large complex organization, but also has a strong community feel and mission-driven and passionate for the work. Tell me a little bit about the internal dynamics in some ways.
On the immediate team for the CEO is a group of very seasoned and very talented directors who lead their respective program portfolios. In parallel to that, they’d have great colleagues with our chief operating officer. We have a senior director of communications and philanthropy. We also have a senior finance lead and all sorts of senior policy lead. That grew and charged, including me with working towards the vision that the board sets for the organization and taking us into our next strategic plan as well, which is under renewal.
Beyond that, the beautiful part of CMHA is that were part of a broader family. It’s a national organization. There are colleagues for this person in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Nova Scotia, and also here across the branch network in British Columbia. Those are important piece. When you come to work for CMHA, you’re coming to work for an organization that some has some real heft, some breadth and some deaths across the national landscape when it comes to improving access to care to people in community.
Canadian Mental Health Association: When you come to work for CMHA, you’re joining an organization with real heft, breadth, and depth across the national landscape when it comes to improving access to care for people in the community.
That’s so compelling. Its heft and breadth. That has an impact. You talked about the stats earlier of the numbers of people you’re working with the economic benefit of the programs and things like that. What about you, Jonny? As a leader, a manager, a teammate, a colleague, you’ll be working very closely with this person. How do you see that dynamic between the two of you? How would you describe yourself as a leader or as a human being ultimately when it gets down to it, too?
First and foremost, it comes with my own lived experience. Doing this job and being in this role comes from a real place of personal connection. I live with that mental health problem and depression. It also comes with 25 years of experience in community mental health. In some ways, I’m a bit of a one trick pony that regards mental health. It’s my home. It’s a space I care deeply about. That shows up in my leadership and it shows up in who I am. I’m very devoted and committed in an unwavering way to make sure that we can improve care for people.
As a reader, I come at this work with reflectivity. I’ve gone through my own 360 as a leader and about where we’re at as an organization and where I can adapt and shape my own leadership for the next years or so with our new strap plan. If you ask people what they see in me, I fostered trust in the sense of psychological, safety and care in the organization. We’re a complex organization.
I try to be as available as I can to provide stewardship and guidance across the programs. This role will be so important to me because as we’ve grown so much, this role will have accountability and empowerment to lead the engine of our programs, services and with the valuable, incredible valuable team that’s in the organization. This person will experience someone like me who’s committed and also committed to thinking out loud together. Finding solutions together and being collaborative in our approach. That’s something that’s important to me as well.
Jonny, the best leaders are vulnerable, open and sharing. You certainly are that. I appreciate you sharing your personal circumstance and your own challenges regarding mental health as well. Thank you for sharing your lived experience there for sure. Anything else you think you might be looking for in this candidate, in your dream CPO or your unicorn as people like to say? Are there particular traits, backgrounds or competencies you think you’re going to be compelling and important for the role?
Ideal CPO Candidate Profile, Leadership Qualities, And Recruitment Pitch
Above all, a real dedication to mental health and substance use care. It’s important. That can come through one’s own lived experience, one’s own practice, and one’s own work experience. Someone who is willing to take on the challenge of leading within an organization that’s complex and an organization that’s operating in an ever-shifting environment is key. Someone who’s unwavering and able to be responsive, agile, and nibble.
A real dedication to mental health and substance use care is essential. It can come from lived experience, professional practice, or work experience. Share on XAlso, very strategic alongside me and the rest of the team and looking ahead. Looking at 7 years or 10 years ahead about what we need to do to position ourselves so that we can continue to deliver on our mission and our vision in the best ways possible. I’m keen to have someone who’s a good listener and who can bring good humility to their work. Either see the value of team and collaboration that we’re all in this together. Someone who can also understand what it means to operate within a federation. That can be quite a unique experience. What it means to operate in a charitable federation would be would be a huge asset.
Lots to pick up there. Lots of ambition and drive in looking for the right person, but it is such an important role. I’m so pleased to be partnering with you on this search for that matter, Jonny. In summary, what are the most compelling reasons for someone to perhaps think about moving on from where they are or reasons for someone wanting to come join you? Considering particular career options. There’s some obvious ones that we’ve talked about already but in summary, what is your case if you will?
If you want to be part of an incredibly innovative leading edge organization that does not settle for the status quo when it comes to caring community. Please think about us. We offer a comprehensive total compensation package, too. We take cyclical health benefits seriously. That’s a key part of having unlimited psychological benefits as part of the benefits plan.
We try to walk the talk there. Most important, what CMHA is it’s made up of its of its colleagues, its people. The people here are some of the most amazing humans I’ve had the privilege of working with in my career. They are incredibly dedicated. They’re incredibly talented and so much expertise. My hope is that you’ll find yourself at home here.
It’s a great place to be home. You’re doing such incredible work. The people are so passionate and so dedicated. It’s such a moving fundamentally place to be and team to work with. I’m pleased and flattered to be working with you again, Jonny. In summary, if anybody’s interested or curious, check out your website BC.CMHA.ca. It’s a great resource of information for programs for advocacy. Again, you’re a very public presence. I’m sure there’s lots of YouTube videos and press clippings of you speaking. Again, as articulate as you are about the cause and the mission and the organization fundamentally. If anybody wants to reach out to me directly, I’m at [email protected].
