International Alliance
Visit the INTERCAMHS website
INTERCAMHS – The International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools The International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools – INTERCAMHS – is working to create the conditions in schools that promote children and young people’s mental health and to help governments, schools, health professionals and teachers to recognize the benefits of ensuring that children are mentally healthy. INTERCAMHS is the first international alliance dedicated to advancing the role of schools in addressing child and adolescent mental health. It has grown over the past four years since its inauguration in 2003 and now has more than 300 members, who come from 35 countries and who have a wide range of professional backgrounds. The Education Development Centre [EDC], division of Health and Human Development Programs (HHD) is the secretariat and administrative home of the Alliance. The Alliance Advisory Board organizes seminars and workshops, in partnership with other groups, to build the capacity of educators and mental health experts; coordinates presentations at international conferences; and convenes professional development symposia in conjunction with regional meetings around the world. These activities have been conducted in 2004 in Melbourne, Australia and Auckland, New Zealand; in 2005 in Dublin, Ireland and Jamaica; in 2006 in Alberta, Canada and Oslo Norway; and in 2007 in Perth, Australia. International exchange of ideas and practice is also promoted through electronic newsletters and a website. The website has been developed by EDC staff with the assistance of the Advisory Board and INTERCAMHS’s members. It gets 10,000 hits a month from all over the world. The work of the Alliance is guided by the Vision - that as a result of INTERCAMHS’ efforts, the world’s educational systems will understand the importance of mental health to learning and healthy development and embrace the role that schools can play, with mental health agencies, in mental health promotion and prevention, implementing whole school approaches. This international group promotes constructive debate and dialogue about action to improve mental health through school settings. No one country’s view of school mental health predominates. A special issue of the International Journal of Mental Health Promotion (May 2004) was coordinated by INTERCAMHS on global school mental health promotion. Please click here to view a summary report of a recent INTERCAHMS meeting held in Minneapolis, MN, November 5, 2009. Membership is open to all and currently there is no charge. Application for membership is through the Alliance’s website. The website’s resources section contains searchable information, research and data, and planning tools for school mental health from a range of sources across the world. INTERCAMHS website: www.intercamhs.org | 
