MDABC is working hard to provide a greater variety of services using our rapid access approach to more people in more communities. Please click here to download a short presentation outlining our plans.

1. Mood Disorders
Association of BC
1450 – 605 Robson Street, Vancouver
Charitable No: 899307854RR0001
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2. The Need
• In high-income countries like Canada, the burden of
depression is greater than the burden caused by
common diseases such as heart attack, stroke, and
diabetes.
• For an average BC company with 50 employees, yearly
costs of untreated depression are nearly $1.4 million in
lost work days and reduced productivity.
• As many as 870,000 British Columbians may
experience a major depressive episode in their
lifetime, taking into account the current provincial
population of 4.4 million and lifetime prevalence rate
of 19.7%
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Source: BC Medical Association: Stepping out of the Shadows: A policy paper by BC’s physicians: August 2009

3. MDABC Strategic Goals (1)
• By 2016:
– Every British Columbian with a mental illness can:
• See a Psychiatrist within 4 weeks of GP referral;
• Enroll in a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
program within 4 weeks of psychiatric assessment;
– To increase the number of new patients seen
from 1,800 annually to 4,000 annually
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4. MDABC Strategic Goals (2)
• By 2016, offer 25% more:
– Convenient no-appointment drop-in group
medical appointments;
– CBT programs at multiple locations;
– Complementary mental health wellness programs
such as Nutrition, Meditation, Yoga and Fitness;
– Peer-led support groups across the province
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5. What We Do
• Provide a range of mental health wellness options;
• Touch the lives of over 1,800 patients annually
• Provide rapid access to all services;
• Three week waiting list to see a Psychiatrist;
• Cognitive therapy group programs start quarterly;
• Provide “gold standard” group therapy options;
• Support those with mental illness and their families
through over 40 volunteer-led Support Groups with
more than 500 regular attendees;
• Warm, understanding and professional environment;
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6. Key Elements of Our Work
• Innovative techniques
– Group appointments
– Patient motivational techniques
• Research and teaching opportunities
• Clinical excellence
• Community Capacity Building
– Patients as volunteers in “return to the community”
roles
– Partnerships with aligned organizations
– Financial sustainability
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7. Our Services: Direct Patient Care
Rapid Access Psychiatric Urgent Care Program: 5 psychiatrists see over 35 new patients weekly
with a waiting list of less than 3 weeks.
Group Medical Visits Program: Every week, 8 shared medical appointments with a psychiatrist
serve up to 10 patients on a group basis.
Mental Health Wellness Program: A full service, “one-stop-shopping” experience for all
patients. Services include:
– Multiple Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) Programs,
– Expanded Wellness Recovery Action (WRAP) Program,
– Step By Step Program: Exercise is medicine group,
– Nutrition, Physical Fitness, Meditation, Yoga,
– Art &Music Therapy & Personal Planning
Support Group Program: Over 40 Province-wide, volunteer-led support groups for individuals
with mental illness including:
– Seven faith-based groups including Jewish, Christian & Islamic,
– Language-based groups including Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi and Hindi,
– Three family-orientated groups & One Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) group
South Asian Community Program: Led by a Punjabi speaking psychiatrist, this program provides
information in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu.
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8. Our Services: Public Education Programs
• Public Events: Well attended monthly public
presentations by mental health professionals
intended to educate and reduce stigma.
• Speakers Bureau Program: 16 volunteer
speakers living with mental health issues to
public audiences across the Province.
• Mental Health Awareness Events Program: Our
annual Stomp the Stigma dance are fund raising
events intended to raise awareness of mental
illness issues in our communities.
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9. Who we help
• All British Columbians with a mood or anxiety
disorder.
– We do not discriminate based on gender,
ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, income level,
geography, employment status.
– Everyone is welcome.
– We support family members and friends of those
with mood disorders.
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10. What we need…….
• Sustaining Gift: $250,000
– A single gift will allow MDABC to plan and deliver:
• innovative programs to seniors, the south Asian community and other
under-served communities across BC.
• Includes WRAP, CBT, Mindfulness, Changeways Programs, Fitness &
Nutrition programs, Meditation & Yoga, Smoking Cessation and others.
• CBT Program Gift: $4,000
– 20 programs are required = $80,000
– Programs for up to 240 low income individuals
– There is a demand for at least 20 programs annually across BC
• Infrastructure Gift: $16,000
– For IT, telephone and business systems
– Our technology is over 12 years old and is beginning to fail
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11. How you can help……
• Well-networked Volunteers to assist staff in fund
raising efforts.
– Promote MDABC with your investment advisor(s).
– Open doors to possible corporate & individual donors.
– Staff will make the “ask” so volunteers don’t have to.
• Executive level presenters to speak to Boards of
Trade, Chambers of Commerce and Service Clubs.
• Promote MDABC services among your
professional and social networks.
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12. MDABC has….
• Served the mental health needs of British Columbians
for over 25 years.
• Mobilized over active 250 volunteers across the
Province annually.
• A cost of fund raising is less that 2% of our annual
operating budget and our staff are focussed on service
delivery.
• Received funding largely from Government Programs
and donations from individuals and corporations.
• A Board of 10 senior business and community leaders.
• Audited financial statements are available on request.
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13. MDABC is……
• Mission:
– To provide treatment, support and education for people with mood disorders,
their families, their friends, their workplace colleagues and their communities.
• Vision:
– A society in which stigma has been eliminated and individuals with mood
disorders are able to live healthy, happy, productive and satisfying lives.
• Goals:
– Provide support and friendship for those with mental illness, their family, and
friends
– Educate the community, provide information, and share experiences about
mood disorders
– Encourage the development of effective self-help models
– Encourage research into mood disorders and self-help models
– Link with national and international mood disorder associations
– Reduce the stigma of mood disorders
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14. Members of the Board of Directors
Tom Dutta,
(Board Chair):
A senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in the banking, insurance, IT / Telecomms
industries. Currently General Manager at Ocean West Financial Group.
Martin Addison,
(Executive Director):
Prior to MDABC was Chief Development Officer and CIO with St. John Ambulance and before that, VP, Operations at
United Way of the Lower Mainland.
Jacqueline Chay, CMA,
(Treasurer):
An accounting & finance professional with over 30 years experience in a variety of organizations.
Dr. Ron Remick, MD, FRCP(C),
(Medical Director):
A practicing psychiatrist in Vancouver for more than 30 years. Currently works at St. Paul’s Hospital and the
Psychiatric Urgent Care Program at MDABC as Medical Director.
Paul W. Gallant, CHE, PhD(c), MHK: A certified health executive and health consultant who brings 30 years of health care experience; including mental
health protocol development for Provincial emergency rooms.
Harpal Johl: A Director of the Family Services Department at DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society and is an active member
of the South Asian Community in Surrey / Delta.
Jon McComb: A veteran Broadcaster at Vancouver’s CKNW Radio for 30 years. He is the recipient of the prestigious “Edward R.
Murrow” award from the Radio, Television and Digital News Association.
Dr. Paul Tennant: Professor Emeritus of Political Science at UBC. He served on the UBC faculty from 1966 to 2006, specializing in the
politics of community, BC government and of aboriginal peoples.
Caer Weber: A strong advocate in the mental health sector and long time support group facilitator at MDABC.
Dave Gillard: A senior executive with over 30 year experience in a number of industries; Currently Vice President at Ocean West
Financial Group
Scott Murtha, LL.B.: As a leader of Boughton Law’s Tax Group focusing on tax planning and tax-driven commercial transactions with
extensive experience in domestic mergers and acquisitions and corporate reorganizations.
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