Membership:

Client Family Advisory Committee Members:

• Members will include CMHA Kenora Branch clients, family members, community members with lived experiences, staff, Chief Executive Officer and one board member
• All attempts will be made to recruit clients, family and staff from all programs within the CMHA Kenora Branch
• The term of each committee member will be one year. Committee members may choose to stay on the committee after each year
• Membership is voluntary
• Clients and family committee members may resign from the committee at any time
• Potential client and family committee members will complete an application and submit it to the Executive Director of CMHA Kenora Branch before being accepted to the committee
• Client and family will be required to go through a criminal record check before being accepted to the committee
• Client and family will sign committee member job description to show understanding of position
  Client Family Advisors:
• Client Family Advisors include individuals from the agency and community wanting to provide input, suggestions, and feedback with regards to specific programming and service development concerns
• Participation will be at the discretion of the individual and may be discontinued at any time

Meetings:

Client Family Advisory Committee Members:

• The committee will meet every 3 months, or at the discretion of the chairs, at the CMHA Kenora Branch office located at 227 Second Street South, Second Floor, Kenora, Ontario P9N 1G1
• All attempts will be made for members of the committee living outside the City of Kenora to have access to meetings through Teleconferencing

Client Family Advisors:

• Client Family Advisors are only present for the discussion pertaining to their program and/or desired element of the agency in which they want to discuss with the committee
• Client Family Advisors are not required to attend meetings

Confidentiality:

Client Family Advisory Committee Members:

• All members will be required to sign an oath of confidentiality form before participating in the Client Family Advisory Committee
• Will not share confidential information in any form outside the committee
• Breaches of confidentiality will result in a request to leave the committee and the privacy officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Kenora Branch will be notified

Client Family Advisors:

• Will not have access to confidential information and therefore, will not need to sign an oath of confidentiality form

There are two roles that an individual can choose to participate in.

They are the following:

1. Client Family Advisory Committee regular member
2. Client Family Advisor

Responsibilities and Expectations:

Client Family Advisory Committee Members:

• The Client Family Advisory Committee will take an active role in ensuring the client-family perspective is represented within the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kenora Branch
• Create a welcoming venue for input into program and service development
• Provide the opportunity to develop and integrate relationships between lived experience perspective and a clinical/medical perspective within CMHA Kenora Branch
• Provide consultation in program development and suggestions for educating the community and CMHA Kenora Branch around mental health related issues
• Continue to promote recovery and wellness among all committee members
• Advocate as appropriate
• Respect all committee member’s input
• Maintain an open mind regarding other people’s views
• Present ideas and issues representing clients and families and their perspectives
• Committee members will encourage, advocate and support communication and awareness for clients and families within CMHA Kenora Branch and the community
• Committee members will review the Terms of Reference annually
• Understand that the purpose of the Client Family Advisory Committee is to provide the client-family perspective while respecting the parameters of the lived experience
  Client Family Advisors:
• The Client Family Advisors will provide input into programming and service development within Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kenora Branch while ensuring the client family perspective is heard and considered
• The Client Family Advisors will provide suggestions for educating the community and CMHA Kenora Branch around mental health related issues
• The Client Family Advisor’s input will be based on organizational information, procedure, policy, and feedback as they become available and brought to the committee