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Our Branch has served the North Shore community since 1958 when a group of West Vancouver individuals organized a social club called the "White Cross" where adults with mental illness could meet, socialize and develop skills. This became the first drop-in center to be sponsored by CMHA in British Columbia. While our current programs and services differ from those originally begun in 1958 our commitment to reducing recidivism rates and increasing the mental health of everyone in our community remains. Our current programs include individual advocacy, a weekly health lecture series, Volunteers in Partership - North Shore, ACHIEVE a planning and employment service, support groups, housing and public education.

Our mission is is to strengthen and preserve human rights, resilience, and dignity in “wounded” communities through culturally sensitive and innovative mental health, trauma, and resiliency training programs designed in partnership with local, community-based organizations in the US and internationally. Our integrative approach brings together emerging neuroscience research, and compassion-focused interventions while honoring traditional medicine, culture, and contemplative practices existing within each community.

Our Vision: "Mentally healthy people in a healthy society" Our Philosophy: CMHA VERNON is committed to ensuring that our mission and operations embrace the whole community, and actively encourage the entire community to participate in and benefit fully from our services.

We provide a much needed community-based network of knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers to support Nova Scotians directly affected by schizophrenia and psychosis, as well as their family members, friends, colleagues, and communities. Our core belief is that people with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and psychosis can live a life of meaning and purpose. Our focus is to promote the goal that each individual will be able to return to a quality of life meeting each person's own perception of needs and expectations. Our vision is to reach all Nova Scotians who are directly or indirectly affected by schizophrenia and psychosis; to focus on the individual, not the illness; to promote wellness and recovery; and to reduce the misconceptions, stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination so often associated with mental illnesses. Our provincial headquarters is located in Dartmouth. We have a branch office in Port Hawkesbury on Cape Breton Island.