ARA Mental Health Action, Research & Advocacy Association

History

The organization now known as the Mental Health Action Research and Advocacy Association of Greater Vancouver ARA was founded in 1993 by Garry Long 19522001 Garrys vision was of a world free of poverty and discrimination in which the rights and dignity of the mentally ill are respected

Our original focus was on mental health research for WHO BC In 1995 local representatives and the Ministry of Health decided it was too costly to remain as a part of WHO and that we could serve the mentally ill community better as a society within BC We became the Downtown Eastside Mental Health Network

Over time it became evident that the need for advocacy services for the mentally ill on the Downtown East Side was not being addressed With support from the Greater Vancouver Mental Health Services Society we began providing these services For two years we existed as two separate societies one focusing on research and the other on advocacy In 1997 we merged into what is now known ARA With the recent changes in disability legislation the demand for advocacy has increased within this community and in Greater Vancouver as a whole As a result our client base continues to grow