Arborescence

What Arborescence does

Arborescence is a Montreal-based non-profit community organization (OBNL), founded in 1980 as AQPAMM and rebranded in 2022, that delivers free psychosocial support, peer-based accompaniment, and crisis intervention services to family members and loved ones of people living with mental health challenges across Quebec. Its core service portfolio comprises individual psychosocial support sessions, peer support groups, thematic workshops and conferences, an anonymous family peer-support telephone hotline launched in 2020, and specialized programs targeting youth caregivers (T'as ta place), parents of youth, senior caregivers (Aider en équilibre), and post-crisis follow-up through the ESUP-UPSJ emergency psychosocial pathway integrated with CIUSSS Centre-Sud and SPVM. The organization also operates a fee-for-service training and consulting arm delivered in collaboration with Ax Conseil, offering workplace mental-health awareness, Law 27 psychosocial-risk compliance, manager coaching, and interventionist training to private companies, OBNLs, and community organizations. Underlying technology is minimal — a Wix-hosted website, member portal, virtual programming platform, and email newsletter system — with no proprietary software or AI capabilities.

The business model is hybrid non-profit: roughly 60-70% of operating capacity is funded through institutional grants from the Government of Quebec (multiple ministries), Centraide, L'Appui pour les proches aidants, Fondation Mirella et Lino Saputo, and Air Ouverte, supplemented by individual donations processed through Zeffy. A growing share of revenue comes from quote-based fee-for-service organizational training, where Arborescence monetizes its clinical expertise for B2B clients while reinvesting proceeds into the non-profit mission. The 23-person team blends licensed clinicians (clinical director, clinical leads) with trained lived-experience family peer supporters (pair-aidants famille), a differentiated model supported by a Université Laval research collaboration. Services are delivered in-person at the Montreal headquarters, virtually across Quebec, and through a professional referral pathway with a 24-48 hour warm-handoff guarantee.

Name

Arborescence

Legal name

Arborescence

Website

https://www.arborescence.quebec/en

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Arborescence offers information, workshops, tools and support to encourage the well-being of people with mental health issues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Caregiver Support Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Community-Based Senior Centers with Adult Day Services (HLADAIAJ)

Keywords

• Mental health caregiver support
• Psychosocial intervention services
• Family peer support
• Workplace mental health training
• Community mental health nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Montréal

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. Donations: As a non-profit organization (organisme à but non-lucratif / OBNL), Arborescence is primarily funded through donations from the public. A donation page on Zeffy (100% secure platform) allows donors to contribute, with tax receipts issued. The organization's 45-year history and community standing support donor engagement.
2. Government and foundation grants: Arborescence receives funding from government bodies (Government of Quebec, Emploi et Solidarité sociale, MSSS), Centraide, L'Appui pour les proches aidants, and private foundations such as the Fondation Mirella et Lino Saputo. These grants support specific programs (ESUP-UPSJ crisis project, EDI initiatives, youth services).
3. Organizational training and professional services: Arborescence generates revenue by providing fee-for-service mental health training and consulting to private companies, OBNLs, community organizations, and healthcare institutions. Customized quotes are provided based on organizational needs. Programs include workplace mental health sensitization, Law 27 compliance training, manager coaching, and professional development for interventionists. Revenue is used to support the organization's non-profit mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Arborescence is a non-profit organization that provides free psychosocial support services to family members and loved ones of people living with mental health challenges, via individual accompaniment, peer support groups, workshops and conferences, and a confidential family peer-support hotline. It also generates revenue through fee-for-service mental health training and consulting (including Law 27 compliance, manager coaching, and interventionist training) delivered to organizations, with proceeds supporting its non-profit mission.

Product overview

Arborescence is a Montreal-based non-profit organization (formerly AQPAMM, rebranded in 2022) offering a comprehensive suite of free mental health support services for family members and caregivers of people living with mental health issues. Its service portfolio consists of core direct support offerings (individual support sessions, peer-support hotline, support groups, and thematic workshops/conferences), specialized programs targeting specific populations (youth caregivers with 'T'as ta place' and services for parents of youth, seniors with the 'Aider en équilibre' mental health and aging program), crisis intervention programs (collaboration with Le Transit Crisis Centre and the ESUP-UPSJ emergency response project), and organizational training services (workplace mental health awareness including Law 27 compliance training, and professional development for non-profit and community organizations). The organization also operates a free membership program providing access to exclusive digital content and a virtual platform launched in 2023 specifically to reach young caregivers. Services are provided in multiple languages, in-person and virtually, from its location at 1260 Sainte-Catherine Street East, Montreal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accompagnement individuel (Individual Support) Personalized psychosocial support sessions for family members and caregivers of people living with mental health issues, providing emotional support, guidance, and practical tools for coping. Delivered solo or accompanied by another close one.
• Groupes d'entraide (Support Groups) Peer support groups where family members and caregivers share experiences, situations, and common challenges related to supporting a loved one with mental health issues. Groups aim to foster sharing of experiences and common issues.
• Ateliers et conférences (Workshops and Conferences) Thematic workshops and public conferences on topics related to mental health caregiving, providing psychoeducational content and fostering exchange among participants. Includes arts workshops and other themed group activities.
• Ligne d'écoute pair-aidance famille (Family Peer Support Hotline) Anonymous and confidential telephone support line operated by trained family peer supporters, launched in collaboration with other Quebec organizations. Provides accessible immediate peer support to family caregivers.
• T'as ta place - Services pour les jeunes proches (Young Caregiver Services) Specialized services and support programs for young family members and caregivers who support someone with mental health challenges, including a dedicated youth team and programming tailored to youth.
• Services aux parents de jeunes (Services for Parents of Youth) Targeted support services for parents of young people under 25 living with mental health issues, including individual follow-ups, thematic workshops, and dedicated support groups. Funded through Air Ouverte (MSSS).
• Santé mentale et vieillissement - Aider en équilibre (Mental Health and Aging) Support services and support groups for family members caring for aging relatives with mental health issues, including personalized meetings and public conferences on aging and mental health.
• Traverser la crise en proche aidance (Navigating Crisis in Caregiving) Joint project with Le Transit Crisis Centre providing psychosocial support services for family members of people in crisis situations, including individual support, workshop series, and public conferences.
• ESUP-UPSJ : Proche en crise (Emergency Psychosocial Response Project) Pilot project integrating Arborescence into emergency psychosocial intervention trajectories, providing immediate follow-up and psychosocial support to family members of people in mental health crisis, conducted in collaboration with CIUSSS Centre-Sud and SPVM.
• Sensibilisation à la santé mentale au travail (Workplace Mental Health Awareness and Training) Fee-for-service workplace mental health training programs for organizations, including a 5-workshop series on psychological health and safety, Law 27 compliance training on psychosocial risks, public conferences, and manager support and accompaniment. Delivered in collaboration with Ax Conseil.
• Formations pour OBNL et OC (Training for Non-Profits and Community Organizations) Mental health and caregiving training programs for intervention professionals in non-profits and community organizations, including courses on understanding mental health issues, specific disorders, mental health and aging, youth mental health, and preventing professional burnout.
• Adhésion membre (Member Membership) Free membership program offering access to exclusive content, recorded conferences, respite activity offers, and updates on caregiving-related news. Individual, family, associative, or corporate membership options available.
• Plateforme virtuelle pour les jeunes (Virtual Platform for Youth) Virtual platform launched in 2023 to reach young family members and caregivers, providing digital access to support services and resources tailored to youth.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free services for all family members — no financial barrier to access core support
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'Île-de-MontréalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArborescence works in close collaboration with CIUSSS Centre-Sud on the ESUP-UPSJ crisis intervention project. ESUP (Équipe de soutien en urgence psychosociale) is jointly managed by CIUSSS Centre-Sud and SPVM. Arborescence provides psychosocial follow-up to family members of people in crisis after ESUP/UPSJ interventions.
• SPVM (Service de police de la Ville de Montréal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPVM co-manages the ESUP (Équipe de soutien en urgence psychosociale) with CIUSSS Centre-Sud. Arborescence is integrated into the post-crisis referral pathway from ESUP interventions, providing follow-up to family members.
• Centre de crise Le TransitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArborescence and Le Transit Centre de Crise, two leading mental health organizations in Montreal, have combined their expertise to provide a continuum of psychosocial services to family members of people in crisis or living with mental health challenges. Joint projects include individual support, workshop series, and public conferences.
• Ax ConseilmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArborescence delivers managerial coaching and individual support services in collaboration with Ax Conseil, a human strategy and organizational health consultancy. This partnership is supported financially by the government of Quebec. Services include 'Mon Entreprise, Notre Bien-Être' and 'Ralentir' training programs for managers and decision-makers.
• Bell Cause pour la causeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBell's mental health initiative. Arborescence participates in Bell Cause pour la cause awareness campaigns, leveraging this high-profile national mental health movement for organizational visibility.
• Mouvement santé mentaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArborescence serves as an ambassador organization for the Mouvement santé mentale, a collective initiative by Cap Santé Mentale to unite and promote Quebec mental health organizations.
• Cap Santé MentaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCap Santé Mentale (a program of the ASPQ) brings together all mental health caregiver support organizations in Quebec. Arborescence is featured as a member organization of this collective.
• Université LavalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArborescence board member Annette Robyns collaborates on a research project with Université Laval examining the contribution of peer family supporters (pair aidant.es famille) to caregivers of people with Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases.
• Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner in Arborescence's ecosystem, UQAM is a major Montreal university. Nature of partnership involves collaboration within the broader mental health ecosystem.
• Société Québécoise de Schizophrénie (SQS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a partner organization. SQS focuses on schizophrenia awareness and support; the partnership connects Arborescence to a specialized mental health network.
• Maison St-DominiqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a partner organization in Arborescence's ecosystem of mental health and community organizations in Montreal.
• Les ImpatientsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a partner organization. Les Impatients is a Montreal organization using artistic expression for mental health; partnership within the community ecosystem.
• Proche Aidance QuébecminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured as a partner organization representing the broader provincial caregiver support movement. Arborescence is part of this provincial network of mental health caregiver organizations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• L'Appui pour les proches aidants: Quebec-wide organization providing information, training, and support to family caregivers across all conditions (not only mental health). Comparable as a provincial caregiver-support umbrella with overlapping funder/partner role and similar target population.
• CAP Santé Mentale / Mouvement Santé Mentale Québec: Quebec collective initiative (under ASPQ) uniting mental health organizations. Arborescence is a featured member and ambassador; CAP provides the broader umbrella advocacy and awareness function that complements Arborescence's direct service model.
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) — Quebec Division: National non-profit promoting mental health and supporting people with mental illness, with provincial divisions across Canada. Broad incumbent offering overlapping family/caregiver support programming at larger scale than Arborescence.

Direct peers

• AMI-Quebec (Action on Mental Illness): Montreal-based non-profit supporting people affected by mental illness through peer support, family programs, and education. Directly comparable to Arborescence as a community-based mental health support organization with family-facing programming in the same geography.
• Revivre: Quebec non-profit providing support to people with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorders and their families. Comparable as a Quebec mental health peer-support organization with family-oriented programming and similar funding profile.
• Société québécoise de la schizophrénie (SQS): Quebec organization supporting people affected by schizophrenia and their families through information, support groups, and education. Direct peer in the mental-health caregiver support space; listed as Arborescence's ecosystem partner.
• Centre de prévention du suicide de Montréal (CPSM): Montreal suicide prevention non-profit offering crisis intervention, postvention, and training — listed as one of Arborescence's training customers. Comparable in service model (psychosocial support, training, crisis pathways) and Quebec geography.
• Centre de crise Le Transit: Montreal crisis centre partnering with Arborescence on the 'Traverser la crise en proche aidance' joint program. Direct peer in mental health crisis intervention with overlapping psychosocial and family support services.
• AX Conseil: Quebec organizational health consultancy collaborating with Arborescence on workplace mental health programs ('Mon Entreprise, Notre Bien-être'). Direct peer in B2B workplace mental health training and consulting space.

Emerging players

• Fondation Jeunes en Tête: Quebec foundation promoting mental health and preventing mental illness in youth 11-25. Comparable to Arborescence's youth ('T'as ta place') programming with similar school- and community-based awareness focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arborescencequebec
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/arborescencequebec
• Instagraminstagram.com/arborescencequebec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Arborescence