The MHCC Blog gives mental health experts and people with lived and living experience a chance to share their stories and insights on a wide range of topics.
These include:
- access to quality mental health care
- at-risk populations
- caregiving
- children and youth
- diversity
- e-mental health
- health-care systems
- incarceration and the justice system
- immigrant, refugee, ethnocultural, and racialized populations
- indigenous populations
- mental and physical health parity
- policy and research
- recovery-oriented practice
- seniors
- stigma and discrimination
- substance use
- suicide prevention
- 2SLGBTQ+
- voices that are not often heard
- workplaces
Parameters
Aim. The blog gives writers a chance to offer personal or professional insights while promoting hope, recovery, and positive outcomes. It is meant to have an optimistic tone and be written from a personal, first-person point of view (I, me, we).
Language. We strongly encourage the use of person-first language while maintaining the right of individuals to self-identify. We like writers to favour the active voice (and use plain, clear, and concise (conversational) language. Avoid jargon (define any technical terms that might be unfamiliar to non-specialists) and keep any quotations to a minimum.
To facilitate reader understanding, structure your message around a central idea and limit each paragraph to one main point (in a few sentences). Make your article easy to scan by including headings or subheadings, where appropriate, and bullet points for any lengthy or multi-item lists.
Length. Articles should be about 400 to 500 words.
Links. For information-related links, be sure they are credible, relevant, and available from trusted web sites.
Photos. We welcome high-quality digital author photos (PNG, JPG). If taken by a commercial photographer, please include a photo credit.
Sources. Your own voice should be the primary focus, but if citing or paraphrasing other people’s ideas or facts, be sure to include references. Any charts, figures, tables, or graphs generally require written permission from the copyright holder.
Titles. Suggestions are welcome, although our editorial team may revise for length and clarity.
Submissions
Send us your document (MS Word preferred), including any photo, by emailing it to us at blogs@mentalhealthcommission.ca.
Note: We seek unique, original content and cannot accept material previously published or under consideration for publication.
When submitting by email, please include
- author first and last names
- daytime phone number
- author credentials, job title, and place of employment, if applicable.
Our editorial team will reach out to authors of the blogs we’d like to publish within two weeks.
Note: By your submission, you are providing the Mental Health Commission of Canada license to host, copy, distribute, download, upload, access, and publish on any medium.
English articles will be translated into French and appear in both languages. If you have any questions, please contact us at blogs@mentalhealthcommission.ca.
