Ottawa Salus Corporation - community mental health services ottawa

Ottawa Salus is a charitable organization, who for over 25 years has promoted the rehabilitation of adults in the Ottawa area who are recovering from mental illness. One out of five Canadians suffer from this at some time so the constituency which Salus serves is enormous.

Ottawa Salus was started in the 1970's by a committee of concerned parents, social workers, and doctors. They were reacting to the lack of community services for people who were being discharged from hospitals during the first wave of de-institutionalization following the discovery of psychotropic medication.

Despite the lack of models for supportive housing, the committee determined that supports were necessary for people to regain their health. Accordingly, they purchased a rooming house in Centretown using their own money and staffed it with volunteer labour. Government money was eventually received to fund this first group home and all the other housing that Salus has purchased since. The name "Salus" (meaning health) embodied the vision that this planning group had for their housing.

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	Mission Statement
	History
	Sources of Funds
	Board of Directors