Opening Doors, Exploring Walls and Breaking Barriers at CAMH

By Sandra Luccisano, CAMH Community Ambassador

One of the hats I am privileged to wear as a Community Ambassador in our First Impressions program is tour leader. Most people are unaware that we lead tours of our Queen Street Site almost every week of the year. Tour groups are primarily high school students who combine a tour of the grounds with a presentation from Beyond the Cuckoo’s Nest but we also host adult students from various schools, programs and disciplines. During our tours, we talk about the history of CAMH, client programming, volunteer services, the “underground world” running beneath our feet, recreational therapies, inpatient units, social enterprise opportunities – a whole host of topics.

CAMH is rich in history – we have been at our location since 1850, when we were known as the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, and in the years since, treatment of the mentally ill, and treatment for mental illness has changed drastically.

On Saturday, May 23, 2015, we open our doors again during Doors Open Toronto, giving you a look at our current redevelopment and the future of mental health, while also exploring our past.

Ever walked past a building that looked interesting, but you have no idea what really goes on behind closed doors? This is your weekend! Doors Open Toronto flings open those doors and welcomes the world to private spaces made public.

CAMH tours will take place every 30 minutes from 10:00 – 4:45 p.m on May 23. Join us as we take our visitors on a tour of our old and new buildings. Listen to stories about our past and our plans for the future. CAMH has embarked on a developmental phase that will truly “Transform Lives”.

I hope to see you there.

For more info, visit the Doors Open Toronto website