Our Roots

In 1999, three mothers who had children in the inpatient psychiatric program at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) began informally supporting each other in waiting rooms and hallways. In 2000, at the initiative of Cynthia Clark, Pleo received its incorporation with its charitable status. It provided a monthly support group for parents at CHEO. A great deal of effort was invested to connect with service providers to advocate for the needs of the families it was supporting. The approach to mental health care at this time included little involvement from families in the treatment planning for their children.

In 2010 Pleo was invited to be a member of the Community Suicide Prevention Network, a group of providers in Ottawa focused on addressing youth suicide. As part of that Committee (now Suicide Prevention Ottawa) Pleo made the case that better navigation and support services for parents and caregivers would help reduce the risks of suicide. These services would help youth get faster access to service. Armed with the results of a parent survey, Pleo secured the support of the committee to develop a plan for a Family Navigation and Support Service. Phyllis Grant-Parker, then the President of Pleo, along with Cherry Murray, Executive Director of Crossroads Children’s Centre, developed the plan and business case for the service. Supported by the Network, Pleo applied for funding from the United Way with Crossroads’ sponsorship. The United Way was able to grant 50% of the request and the Champlain LHIN stepped up with the balance of the needed funds. On Sept 10, 2012 Pleo formally launched the Parents’ Helpline.

In 2015 the Champlain LHIN asked Pleo to expand its services outside of Ottawa and into the counties, and provided base funding. Since 2012, Pleo has grown from the initial one monthly support group to 18 throughout the region (as of Jan 2019), a helpline answered Monday to Friday from 9am to 7pm, and one-on-one mobile support for families who benefit from more intensive, short-term, targeted support.

In 2018, this one-on-one mobile support expanded outside of Ottawa and across the entire Champlain LHIN with the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

In 2019, Pleo was honored to receive the Royal’s Community Inspiration Award.

Throughout its history Pleo has been dedicated to systemic improvements to better serve the needs of families. Some notable involvement:

• Presented to the Kirby Senate Committee on Mental Health regarding the needs for early intervention. This committee created the report Out of the Shadows which resulted in the development of the Mental Health Commission of Canada
• Member of the Parent and Youth Advisory Group to the Ministry of Child and Youth Services (MCYS) on the plan for Moving on Mental Health
• Member of the Community Suicide Prevention Network and its Steering Committee
• Member of the Family Advisory Committee at CHEO
• Member and Chair of the Family Advisory Committee at the Royal
• Member of AMHNC (Addictions & Mental Health Network of Champlain)
• Member of the Committee led by Parents for Children’s Mental Health (PCMH) that developed the first version of Family Engagement Training for Ontario
• Partner in the development of Ontario Health Teams, and in an innovative child and youth-focused model of health care for Eastern Ontario