History
Vancouver Mental Patients Association Society - VMPA
In 1971 a small group of people experiencing the debilitating effects of mental illness and their supporters came together to form the Vancouver Mental Patients Association.
Their purpose was to establish a network of peer support, advocacy, self-help and empowerment at a time when only institutional care and support was available.
These dreams were quickly realized and in their first year, MPA opened a Supported Housing Program and a Community Resource Centre in Kitsilano. The Community Resource Centre has remained in Kitsilano for the past 36 years and has provided peer support, advocacy and empowerment services ever since.
MPA - Motivation, Power & Achievement Society
Since our formation in 1971, the general public has come to recognize and support the best practice of providing mental health services closer to home. It is believed that approximately 1 in 5 Canadians will experience mental illness during their lifetime. With mental illness affecting so many people and with the passage of time, community standards and attitudes have shifted from one of stigmatization and shame to acceptance and the offer of support in communities where people live.
In 2004, after extensive consultation with the membership, Vancouver Mental Patients Association Society became known as MPA-Motivation, Power & Achievement Society. The change in name reflected the objectives of the membership while holding true to the historical principles of empowerment, advocacy and participatory democracy that MPA had been known for.
Over the last 36 years, MPA Society has become a dynamic, multi-faceted organization. Starting with the Community Resource Centre, MPA Society now provides advocacy through the Mental Health Empowerment Program (MHEAP) and systemic advocacy at Riverview Hospital, a range of Supported and Licensed Housing options located throughout Vancouver and Maple Ridge, and Social Justice Services including Court Outreach in the Vancouver and Surrey communities.