Children's Mental Health Ontario

What Children's Mental Health Ontario does

Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) is a non-profit member-based association founded in 1972 and headquartered in Toronto that represents Ontario's publicly-funded Child and Youth Mental Health Centres. The association coordinates a network of nearly 100 member organizations operating in every region of the province, employing 4,000+ child and youth mental health professionals who deliver free counselling, therapy, early intervention, addiction services, and intensive treatment. Services are funded by the Ontario and federal governments and provided at no cost to families without requiring a referral or OHIP card, with access available through 80+ walk-in clinics, virtual (OneStopTalk), phone, and in-person channels as well as 24/7 crisis support.

CMHO's product portfolio centers on connecting families to services rather than selling technology products. Core offerings include the Find Help Locator (a regional search tool for services), the OneStopTalk free virtual counselling platform for children and youth under 18, and the Parents and Caregivers for Mental Health (PCMH) program — integrated into CMHO in August 2020 — which provides caregiver peer support groups, educational webinars, the Parenting Survival Guide, and the School Mental Health Backpack. The association also convenes the sector through an annual conference, Children's Mental Health Week, and partnerships such as the Children's Health Coalition and The New Mentality youth engagement program.

The business model is non-commercial and publicly funded. CMHO does not generate revenue from service fees; instead, its association operations and the broader member network are sustained by Ontario government funding (including a $44.6M investment announced January 2023 as part of a $330M pediatric health commitment, and a $147M emergency pandemic investment in December 2020), supplemented by membership dues from member centres and donations. CMHO's primary customers are Ontario children, youth, and families (130,000+ served annually), with parents/caregivers, educators, mental health professionals, equity-deserving communities, and policymakers as secondary stakeholder segments. The organization advocates for sector investment and policy reform while member organizations deliver direct clinical services.

Name

Children's Mental Health Ontario

Legal name

Children's Mental Health Ontario

Website

https://cmho.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) is a Toronto-based non-profit association representing nearly 100 publicly-funded child and youth mental health centres across Ontario, coordinating 4,000+ professionals who deliver free counselling, therapy, and crisis services to 130,000+ children, youth, and families annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Child and Youth Mental Health Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (624110), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) & Public Behavioral Health Providers (HLAFACAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Behavioral Health Population Health, Quality & Outcomes Measurement (HLAEAHAI)

Keywords

• Child mental health services
• Youth mental health advocacy
• Family peer support
• Mental health counselling
• Mental health network coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: CMHO and its member organizations are publicly funded by the Ontario government and federal government to provide free mental health services to children, youth, and families. Services are provided at no cost to clients - no referral or OHIP card required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) is a non-profit member-based association representing Ontario's publicly-funded Child and Youth Mental Health Centres. It advocates for government investments, policies, and programs for children, youth, and families seeking mental health services. CMHO coordinates a network of nearly 100 member organizations with 4,000+ professionals that deliver free counselling, therapy, addiction services, early intervention, and intensive treatment through walk-in clinics, virtual platforms, and crisis services.

Product overview

Children's Mental Health Ontario (CMHO) is an advocacy and membership organization representing Ontario's publicly-funded child and youth mental health centres. Its product portfolio centers on connecting families to mental health services through the Find Help Locator and OneStopTalk virtual counselling platform, supplemented by the Parents and Caregivers for Mental Health (PCMH) sub-brand offering caregiver peer support groups, educational webinars, and resource libraries including the Parenting Survival Guide and School Mental Health Backpack.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMHO Member Network Coordination

Quantifiable outcome

• 130,000+ infants, children, youth, and families supported annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Children's Health CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between CMHO, Empowered Kids Ontario (EKO), and Ontario's five children's hospitals working together across hospital and community settings to advocate for investments and innovation in children's healthcare. This coalition was instrumental in laying foundations for system transformation and the $44.6 million investment in January 2023.
• Parents for Children's Mental Health (PCMH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEffective August 1, 2020, PCMH became a program of CMHO, combining family peer support, family engagement, and family voice in child and youth mental health. PCMH was founded 30 years ago with commitment to family support, education, and empowerment.
• Youthdale Treatment CentresminorOthersCMHO member organization and destination for outgoing CEO Tatum Wilson's new leadership role effective January 12, 2026.
• Nearly 100 Member OrganizationscoreOthersCMHO represents nearly 100 publicly-funded child and youth mental health centre member organizations operating in every region of Ontario, providing targeted prevention, early intervention, counselling and therapy, addiction services, and intensive services.
• The New Mentality (TNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in youth engagement initiatives including the Provincial Youth Action Committee (YAC) policy paper 'Build with Us: Youth as Architects of Change'. YAC brings together passionate youth advocates, adult allies, and partners across Ontario to tackle challenges facing youth in mental health.
• Youth Services BureauminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMHO member agency in Ottawa supporting youth mental health, shelters, housing, justice, and employment. Received Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant for workshops on disordered eating.
• EveryMind Mental Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMHO member agency and lead agency for child and youth mental health services in Peel Region. Received Bell Let's Talk Community Fund grant for young adult counselling services.
• Children's Healthcare CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization through which CMHO CEO appeared on SPARK: Conversations podcast to discuss coalitions and advocacy in children's healthcare.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• EveryMind Mental Health Services: Lead agency for child and youth mental health services in Peel Region and a CMHO member. Directly comparable as a CMHO member agency providing direct counselling and therapy services in Ontario with a similar child-youth focus.
• Canadian Mental Health Association - Ontario: Ontario division of Canada's largest community mental health charity, providing direct services and policy advocacy across all ages. Directly comparable to CMHO in mandate (provincial advocacy + service coordination) but serves adults as the primary population rather than children and youth.
• Kids Help Phone: Canada's national 24/7 e-mental health service for youth. Directly comparable to CMHO in serving Ontario children/youth with free counselling (text/phone), but operates federally via national funding rather than a provincial member-agency association model.
• Youthdale Treatment Centres: Toronto-based child and youth mental health treatment centre and CMHO member organization. Directly comparable as a CMHO member delivering residential and intensive mental health services; notably the destination of outgoing CMHO CEO Tatum Wilson.
• Youth Services Bureau: Ottawa-based CMHO member agency providing youth mental health, housing, shelter, justice, and employment services. Comparable because it both coordinates within CMHO's network and delivers direct youth services in a major Ontario region.

Broad incumbents

• CHEO (Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario): Major Ontario children's hospital providing inpatient psychiatric care and outpatient mental health services. Comparable as a larger institution that overlaps with CMHO's member agencies on acute and complex mental health cases for Ontario children and youth.
• SickKids (Hospital for Sick Children): Canada's largest children's hospital with a mental health program serving Ontario children and youth. Comparable as part of the Children's Health Coalition with CMHO, bridging hospital-based and community-based mental health services.

Emerging players

• Strongest Families Institute: Canadian e-mental health provider delivering distance counselling for children/youth with anxiety, depression, and behavioural issues. Comparable to CMHO's OneStopTalk service in delivering virtual child-mental-health support but on a pan-Canadian scale rather than Ontario-only.
• Jack.org: Canadian youth mental health advocacy and peer-support nonprofit focused on youth leadership and mental health education. Comparable to CMHO's youth-engagement initiatives (YAC, The New Mentality) in mobilizing youth voice around mental health policy.

Regional players

• Foundry (BC): British Columbia's integrated youth wellness network providing primary care, mental health, and substance-use services to ages 12-24. Closely comparable to CMHO in integrated-youth-model aspirations, but operates exclusively in BC rather than Ontario.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@pcmhontario
• Facebookfacebook.com/kidsmentalhealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children's-mental-health-ontario
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensmentalhealthont
• Xx.com/kidsmentalhlth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Children's Mental Health Ontario