La Boussole

What La Boussole does

La Boussole is a community-based nonprofit organization (OBNL) founded in 1981 in Quebec City, Canada, that supports family members and the close entourage of people living with mental illness. The organization operates from a single headquarters at 302 3e Avenue in Limoilou and serves the Capitale-Nationale region, including adjacent areas such as Portneuf and Charlevoix. Its core service portfolio comprises psychosocial intervention (in-person, telephone, and virtual), a volunteer-staffed listening line, support groups, respite programs, family peer support, and specialized youth and family programs including the Programme Enfance-Jeunesse (PEJ, serving children and adolescents up to age 17, founded 1998) and Projet Famille. The organization also runs HQPAA (L'homme qui parlait aux autos), a six-hour professional training program and accompanying reference guides sold externally to practitioners.

La Boussole's business model is mission-driven rather than commercially optimized: most services are free to members and non-members, with an annual membership fee of CAD $25 that unlocks priority registration, free documentation center loans, and member-only activities. Fee-for-service revenue is generated primarily through HQPAA training (CAD $95 per participant, capped at 15 seats) and guide sales (CAD $10 per guide), but the bulk of operating funding comes from institutional partners — Centraide Québec, CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, Desjardins Caisse Limoilou, Bell Cause pour la cause, Ville de Québec, Fondation Québec Philanthrope, and CAP Santé Mentale (a certification body of which La Boussole has been a member since 2013). The organization is governed by a nine-member board of directors and led by Directrice générale Chantal Godin (appointed April 2022), supported by approximately ten staff including psychosocial intervenants, a clinical coordinator, an administrative assistant, and a family peer-support worker. Go-to-market relies on word-of-mouth, healthcare institution referrals (CIUSSS-CN, crisis centers, DPJ), community partnerships, and lightweight digital channels (website, Facebook, YouTube, newsletter).

Name

La Boussole

Legal name

La Boussole

Website

https://laboussole.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

La Boussole is a Quebec City nonprofit founded in 1981 that provides free psychosocial support, peer groups, respite, and youth programs to family members and close entourage of people living with mental illness in the Capitale-Nationale region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Support Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral Support & Intervention Services (PBIS/Behavior Coaching) (EDAJALAH), Student Mentoring & Peer Support Programs (EDAJALAL)

Keywords

• Mental health support
• Psychosocial intervention
• Family caregiver support
• Peer support services
• Community mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees of $25 providing access to services, programming, documentation center, and member-only activities.
2. Training Programs: Revenue from professional training programs (L'homme qui parlait aux autos - HQPAA) at $95 per participant, and sale of training guides at $10 each.
3. Guide Sales: Sale of HQPAA (L'homme qui parlait aux autos) reference guides at $10 each for external organizations and professionals.
4. Donations: General donations and In Memoriam donations from individuals supporting the mission. The organization relies on community support to expand services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

La Boussole is a community nonprofit that provides psychosocial support, peer support groups, a telephone helpline, respite programs, and youth/family programming for family members and entourage of persons living with mental illness in the Capitale-Nationale region. It also delivers the HQPAA professional training program and sells accompanying reference guides to professionals and partner organizations. Most direct services are free for members, supported by membership fees, donations, and institutional grants.

Product overview

La Boussole is a community organization providing a unified portfolio of mental health support services for family members and caregivers of people with mental illness. The core offerings include psychosocial intervention, peer support, support groups, a phone helpline, and respite programs. Specialized programs address youth and families (Programme Enfance-Jeunesse, Projet Famille) and include video content resources. Training services include the HQPAA program with accompanying reference guides. Services are primarily free for members, with membership providing access to programming, documentation loans, and discounts. The organization operates in Quebec City and serves the Capitale-Nationale region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Intervention psychosociale (Psychosocial Intervention) Individual, parental, or family psychosocial intervention delivered through in-person, virtual, or telephone meetings with professionals to help family members identify attitudes toward a person with mental illness and receive information and support.
• Programme de Répit (Respite Program)
• Ligne d'écoute (Telephone Helpline) Telephone helpline staffed by volunteers who are themselves family members of people with mental health issues, available Monday-Friday 4:30pm-10pm and weekends 8:30am-10pm.
• Groupes d'entraide (Peer Support Groups) Support groups for family members and friends of people with mental illness or personality disorders, offering peer exchange and information sharing.
• Soutien en contexte de démarche d'ordonnance (Psychiatric Commitment Support) Support service for families concerned about a person's behavior who may pose a danger, providing information on psychiatric commitment procedures and guidance through the process.
• Paire-aidance famille (Family Peer Support) Family peer-support service pairing members with experienced family peers who share their lived experience to help develop coping strategies.
• Programme Enfance-Jeunesse (PEJ) (Childhood-Youth Program) Program for young people 17 and under who have a family member with mental health issues, offering individual meetings, group activities, and a summer camp. Celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023.
• Projet Famille (Family Project) Family Project providing support groups, personalized psychosocial follow-ups, information workshops, and café meetings for parents and relatives of minors with mental health challenges.
• Formation HQPAA (L'homme qui parlait aux autos) (HQPAA Professional Training) 6-hour mental health training program for professionals, caregivers, students and volunteers covering mental illness recognition, risk assessment, difficult behavior management, and the D.O.U.C.E. communication method. Delivered on-site at La Boussole (limited to 15 participants) or at client workplaces for groups. Priced at $95 per participant.
• Capsules vidéo (Educational Video Capsules) Educational video capsules covering topics on mental illness, caregiving, and family support, available on YouTube for public viewing.
• Centre de documentation (Documentation Center) Member documentation center offering books, testimonies, and information on mental illness available for one-month loans. Free for members.
• Guides HQPAA (HQPAA Reference Guides) 30-page reference guides for practitioners working with people with mental health issues, featuring symptom descriptions and the D.O.U.C.E. communication method, available in French and English for $10 each.

Quantifiable outcome

• Services are provided free of charge to members, reducing financial barriers to mental health support for families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 secondary.

• CIUSSS de la Capitale-NationalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary healthcare partner providing funding and collaboration. Includes partnerships with Aire ouverte, DPJ, and other integrated services. The organization is referenced as a key community partner in mental health services for the Capitale-Nationale region.
• CAP santé mentalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Boussole has been certified by CAP Santé Mentale since 2013. CAP provides resources including CAP Mieux-Être application and tools for close caregivers.
• Monastère des AugustinessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for respite stays, offering La Boussole members opportunities for rest and rejuvenation. Provides overnight and day respite options.
• Centre de crise de QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmergency mental health crisis referral partner. La Boussole refers members in crisis situations to the Centre de crise at 418-688-4240.
• Université LavalsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research collaboration and educational opportunities in mental health field.
• Centre de prévention du suicide de QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral and support partner for crisis situations involving suicidal ideation. Available at 1-866-APPELLE.
• Institut universitaire en santé mentale de QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic mental health institution providing expertise and collaboration in mental health services.
• L'AppuisecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport organization for close caregivers providing resources and information for caregivers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Centre de prévention du suicide de Québec: Quebec City partner organization addressing the mental-health crisis end of the spectrum; complements rather than directly competes with La Boussole's family-support mission.

Direct peers

• Revivre: Quebec nonprofit supporting people with anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder, including their families; overlaps with La Boussole on family/peer support programming.
• AMI-Québec (Alliance for Mentally Ill Québec): Quebec-based nonprofit offering psychosocial support, education, and advocacy specifically for families of persons with mental illness — the closest direct analogue to La Boussole's mission and member base.
• Schizophrenia Society of Quebec / Société québécoise de la schizophrénie: Quebec organization supporting families affected by schizophrenia and psychotic disorders — directly comparable family-focused mission and support group model.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Mental Health Association – Quebec / Association canadienne pour la santé mentale – Québec: Broader provincial mental-health organization with caregiver and family programming, overlapping La Boussole in audience but operating at much larger scale across more conditions.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): US national family-of-persons-with-mental-illness association that pioneered the family-peer-support model La Boussole delivers; useful benchmark for scale and program design.
• CAP Santé Mentale (Confédération des associations de proches en santé mentale du Québec): Provincial umbrella of family-of-persons-with-mental-illness associations of which La Boussole is a certified member; comparable in mission but operates at network rather than member-service level.
• L'Appui pour les proches aidants: Québec-wide caregiver support organization (referral, training, respite) — same caregiver/entourage target audience and similar respite and referral service lines as La Boussole.
• Phare hommes et familles: Quebec organization supporting men and families through bereavement, separation, and mental-health challenges; comparable family-peer-support delivery model and Quebec footprint.

Others

• Tel-Aide / Tel-Jeunes: Quebec listening-line/helpline services for distressed individuals, including youth; relevant operational analogue for La Boussole's Ligne d'écoute and youth programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6OMvRZC5ClZxhlKDV99vzg
• Facebookfacebook.com/laboussole.ca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-boussole-regroupement-des-parents-et-amis-de-la-personne-atteinte-de-maladie-mentale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 La Boussole