title: Opening minds in Canada: background and rationale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the background and rationale of the approach taken by the Mental Health Commission of Canada's Opening Minds (OM) Anti-Stigma Initiative.
  
  
  METHODS
  The approach taken by OM incorporates a grassroots, community development philosophy, has clearly defined target groups, uses contact-based education as the central organizing element across interventions, and has a strong evaluative component, so that best practices can be identified, replicated, and disseminated. Contact-based education occurs when people who have experienced a mental illness share their personal story of recovery and hope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  OM has acted as a catalyst to develop partnerships between community groups who are undertaking anti-stigma work and an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers in 5 universities who are evaluating the results of these programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Building partnerships with existing community programs and promoting systematic evaluation using standardized approaches and instruments have contributed to our understanding of best practices in the field of anti-stigma programming.
authors.affiliation: Professor and Bell Canada Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; Senior Consultant, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.affiliation: Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Public Health Sciences Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; Research Associate, Youth Programs, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Shu-Ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Manager, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Romie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Principal Investigator, Workforce West, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dobson
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Principal Investigator, Workforce East, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirsh
authors.affiliation: Research Associate, Healthcare Providers, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knaak
authors.affiliation: Student, Department of Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; Research Associate, Youth Programs, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koller
authors.affiliation: Professor, School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario; Principal Investigator, Workforce East, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krupa
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor and Primary Mental Healthcare Education Leader, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia; Principal Investigator, Healthcare Providers, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lauria-Horner
authors.affiliation: Research Associate, Workforce East, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Luong
authors.affiliation: Research Associate, Healthcare Providers, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Geeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Modgill
authors.affiliation: Principal Investigator, Healthcare Providers, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta; Professor, Departments of Community Health Sciences and Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Member, Mathison Centre for Research & Education in Mental Health, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Scott B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Patten
authors.affiliation: Director, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pietrus
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta; Research Scientist, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szeto
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec; Principal Investigator, Media Monitoring Project, Opening Minds Anti-Stigma Initiative, Mental Health Commission of Canada, Calgary, Alberta.
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Whitley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D006266:Health Education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D008402:Mass Media / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000458:organization & administration; D028642:Persons with Psychiatric Disorders / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D016730:Program Development; D012929:Psychological Distance; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology; D057545:Social Stigma; D017132:Workplace / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000523:psychology