The World Health Organization defines health promotion as "the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health." (WHO, 1986)  This section is designed to help people in the fields of mental health and addiction access health promotion information and resources that will enhance their work toward improving the health of individuals and communities.

This section is divided into three subsections:

• Health promotion resources: useful information, links and contacts related to health promotion theory and practice within the mental health and addiction fields
• Clinical health promotion: helpful information and tools to enhance health promotion practices in clinical settings
• Community health promotion: innovative and practical tools, resources, links and approaches to engaging in health promotion in community setting.

NEW! Best Practice Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion Programs: Children & Youth
This web-based resource helps service providers to integrate best practice approaches in their mental health promotion interventions for children (7–12 years of age) and youth (13–19 years of age). The resource identifies 10 best practice guidelines, and provides theoretical background plus practical resources for planning and implementing mental health promotion initiatives with children and youth.

Promoting positive mental health for people aged 55 and older will be the focus of the next guide in the series for promoting positive mental health across the life span, coming early in 2008.

The Culture Counts Project
The Culture Counts Project is a provincial project that aims to research, identify and develop a best practices model for community education and knowledge exchange in mental health and addiction with culturally / linguistically diverse communities to ensure that programs effectively meet the needs of these communities.

Helpful external links

Any links we provide to other sites are provided as a reference to help you identify and locate other Internet resources that may be of interest. These other sites were independently developed by parties other than CAMH and we do not assume responsibility for the accuracy or appropriateness of the information contained at, or endorse the viewpoints expressed at such other sites.

World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/

Pan American Health Organization
http://www.paho.org/

Centre for Health Promotion
http://www.utoronto.ca/chp/

Ontario Health Promotion Resource System
http://www.ohprs.ca/

Ontario Prevention Clearinghouse
http://www.opc.on.ca/

ID#1342 -SP
Content updated: November 21, 2007 4:48 PM

• Print