CAMIMH (Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health)
How to drive national dialogue and policy advocacy in mental health
With Canada facing a growing demand for mental health and substance use health care services, persistent gaps and lack of progress were raising alarms about the governments’ ability to meet the need. Each year, the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) publishes its Mental Health and Substance Use Health Report Card, grading federal and provincial governments on their delivery of care.
The Challenge
Representing an alliance of 15+ mental health and substance use health organizations – each with its own voice, stakeholders, and sensitivities – CAMIMH needed a communications partner that could coordinate a national communications campaign with consistent messaging across the high-profile partner organizations. Additionally, they needed to secure top-tier coverage to engage the public, amplify the urgency around access to care, and deliver the kind of impact that moves policy conversations forward. CAMIMH partnered with BlueSky to ensure that their report card didn’t just get published – it got heard.
The Strategy – What BlueSky Did
BlueSky led an integrated communications program that included press release distribution, earned media relations and social media management.
A national survey was developed, asking Canadians to grade their governments on mental health and substance use care, creating a research-driven news hook with regionally relevant story angles. Aligned key messages, media Q&As, and a coordinated press release ensured spokespeople were consistent and camera-ready.
A coordinated social media campaign, including LinkedIn and Instagram, were leveraged for the campaign rollout, driving public and government conversation around the survey findings and access to mental health and substance use health services.
The Results
- 22 million+ media impressions across national and regional TV, radio, and digital platforms in January 2024 alone
- Elevated digital presence with high engagement and direct government tagging on social media
- Policy momentum generated through sustained national attention on federal and provincial performance in mental health and substance use care
The Impact
The 2023 Report Card campaign established a new benchmark for coordinated health advocacy communications in Canada. By combining rigorous stakeholder management with a research-driven media strategy and targeted digital engagement, BlueSky helped CAMIMH turn an annual report into a national conversation – and kept access to mental health care squarely on the public and government agenda.


