Mental Illness Caregivers Association

What Mental Illness Caregivers Association does

Mental Illness Caregivers Association (MICA) is a Canadian nonprofit charitable organization founded in 2008 and headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. It is registered with the CRA under registration number 81503 3493 RR0001 and operates exclusively in Ontario, with concentrated activity in Eastern Ontario. MICA's mission is to support unpaid caregivers of persons living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, addressing pain points such as navigating mental health crises, understanding involuntary treatment, emergency preparedness, and long-term care continuity when caregivers are no longer able to provide care.

MICA's portfolio consists of five to six programmatic offerings rather than technology products: an annual Art in Strathcona Park exhibition and sale (a community awareness and fundraising event that drew 500+ visitors, 84 artists, 94 booths, and 10 partner organizations in 2024, with the 2025 edition held on September 6, 2025 and a 2026 edition scheduled); an Emergency Preparedness Planning program anchored by an 8-step crisis model developed in 2022 and refined through multi-stakeholder workshops; a Caregivers Planning for When They Are Gone program developed in collaboration with Arafmi in Queensland, Australia; an Involuntary Treatment education initiative focused on Ontario legislation (PHIPA, Health Care Consent Act, Mental Health Act); a Mental Health Crisis support resource; and a proposed Caregiver Future Planning Pilot Project pitched to the Ontario government.

MICA's business model is donation-driven. As a registered charity, it issues tax receipts for contributions and operates programs free of charge to caregivers; there is no commercial pricing, no product sales, and no disclosed revenue. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on annual events, workshops with first responders and health-system partners, collaborative advocacy, and a static website serving as an information hub. The organization has no disclosed headcount, no executive team listing, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity, indicating a small, grant-and-donation-supported operating footprint.

Name

Mental Illness Caregivers Association

Legal name

Mental Illness Caregivers Association of Canada

Website

https://micaontario.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mental Illness Caregivers Association (MICA) is an Ottawa-based Canadian nonprofit charity that supports unpaid caregivers of persons with mental illness and/or substance use disorders through workshops, annual community events, planning resources, and policy advocacy on involuntary treatment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Caregiver Support Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Caregiver support services
• Mental health advocacy
• Community mental health
• Nonprofit caregiver resources
• Crisis preparedness planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

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. Donations: MICA is a registered Canadian charity (CRA Registration 81503 3493 RR0001) that accepts donations. Receipts are provided for donations as per Canadian tax regulations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MICA is a registered Canadian charity that provides caregiver support programs, educational resources, policy advocacy, and community engagement services for family members and unpaid caregivers of persons living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Its portfolio includes an 8-step crisis/emergency preparedness model, caregiver future planning resources, involuntary treatment education, and the annual Art in Strathcona Park fundraiser/awareness event, all delivered free of charge and funded by donations and charitable contributions.

Product overview

MICA operates as a single unified non-profit organization offering multiple support programs rather than a technology platform. Its portfolio includes: Art in Strathcona Park (annual community art exhibition), Emergency Preparedness Planning (8-step crisis model with guidance documents), Caregivers Planning for When They Are Gone (future care planning), Involuntary Treatment Education (legislation awareness), Mental Health Crisis Support resources, and the proposed Caregiver Future Planning Pilot Project. These programs collectively support caregivers of persons living with mental illness and/or substance use disorder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Art in Strathcona Park Annual outdoor art exhibition and sale held at Strathcona Park in Ottawa featuring artists and artisans displaying and selling art, jewellery, pottery and crafts; functions as MICA's primary community awareness and fundraising event, free admission, with silent auction and BBQ.
• Emergency Preparedness Planning Program An 8-step crisis model developed by MICA in 2022 summarizing caregivers' thoughts, feelings, experiences and expectations when supporting a loved one in mental health and/or substance use crisis; includes a Tips and Strategies guidance document and an emergency preparedness plan template, presented at an April 13, 2024 workshop with first responders and health partners.
• Caregivers Planning for When They Are Gone Program addressing caregivers' concerns about future care for their loved ones when they are no longer able to provide care; delivered in collaboration with Arafmi (Queensland, Australia), the peak body for unpaid carers of people experiencing mental ill-health, to co-develop solutions and propose a Caregiver Future Planning Pilot Project.
• Involuntary Treatment Education Educational initiative that unravells the complexity of involuntary treatment status determination in Ontario, covering relevant legislation including PHIPA, Health Care Consent Act, and Mental Health Act; advocates for reform so caregivers understand the practices, criteria, and methods in place.
• Mental Health Crisis Support Resources Caregiver-perspective resource page documenting mental health crises in 8 steps and gathering caregiver community input to flesh out their experience, including crisis response pathways.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ community members engaged annually through Art in Strathcona Park event
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• NAMI Family-to-Family Programs, OntariominorOthers · 10 August 2024NAMI Family-to-Family Programs, Ontario had a booth at the 2024 Art in the Park event, representing family support and education for mental health.
• Parent Resource CentreminorOthers · 10 August 2024Parent Resource Centre had a booth at the 2024 Art in the Park event, providing family resource information.
• Reach Canada/Able2minorOthers · 10 August 2024Reach Canada/Able2 had a booth at the 2024 Art in the Park event, providing disability support resources.
• Rideauwood Addiction and Family ServicesminorOthers · 10 August 2024Rideauwood Addiction and Family Services had a booth at the 2024 Art in the Park event, providing addiction and family support services information.
• Salus OttawaminorOthers · 10 August 2024Salus Ottawa had a booth at the 2024 Art in the Park event, providing mental health and substance use services information.
• Ottawa Paramedic ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Ottawa Paramedic Service participated as a panelist at MICA's April 2024 workshop on emergency preparedness planning template, providing insights on what caregivers can expect during crisis situations and the role of paramedics.
• Ottawa Police ServicecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Ottawa Police Service participated as a panelist at MICA's workshop, contributing expertise on police interactions with people living with mental illness and/or substance use disorders during crisis situations.
• Ottawa Hospital (Mobile Crisis Team and Psychiatric Emergency Services)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Ottawa Hospital's Mobile Crisis Team and Psychiatric Emergency Services participated as panelists, providing insights on hospital-based mental health crisis response and discharge planning.
• Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario - 211 EastcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Community Navigation of Eastern Ontario - 211 East participated as a panelist, offering expertise on community resources and navigation services available to caregivers and persons living with mental illness.
• Distress Centre Ottawa and regioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Distress Centre Ottawa and region participated as a panelist, contributing expertise on crisis support services and suicide prevention resources in the Ottawa area.
• Canadian Mental Health AssociationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Canadian Mental Health Association participated as a panelist, providing expertise on mental health advocacy and community-based mental health services.
• Ottawa Public HealthcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Ottawa Public Health participated as a panelist, contributing public health perspectives on mental health and substance use in the community.
• Crown Attorney's OfficecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024Crown Attorney's Office participated as a panelist, providing legal perspective on involuntary treatment and mental health law.
• John Howard SocietycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 13 April 2024John Howard Society participated as a panelist, contributing expertise on criminal justice aspects of mental health and substance use disorders.
• National Capital ArtisansflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMICA partners with National Capital Artisans to co-organize the annual Art in Strathcona Park Exhibition and Sale. This event features local artists and artisans selling their work directly to the public while raising public awareness about mental illness. The partnership combines MICA's mission focus with National Capital Artisans' event organizing expertise.
• Arafmi (Queensland, Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMICA has partnered with Arafmi, the peak body for unpaid carers of people experiencing mental ill-health in Queensland, Australia. Together they are embarked on a collaborative effort to map out and develop solutions for caregivers planning for when they are no longer able to care for their loved ones.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Parents for Children's Mental Health (PCMH): Ontario-based family-led organization supporting parents and caregivers of children and youth with mental health challenges. Comparable to MICA in providing caregiver peer support and advocacy, but focused on the pediatric/youth segment where MICA is largely adult-caregiver focused.

Regional players

• Family Caregivers of British Columbia: Provincial caregiver support organization operating in BC with similar education, peer support, and resource functions as MICA. Comparable business model and caregiver population, but serves a different Canadian province rather than Ontario.
• Salus Ottawa: Ottawa-based mental health and substance use services organization that participated as a booth partner at MICA's 2024 Art in Strathcona Park. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit providing mental health and substance use services in the same Ottawa geography.
• Distress Centre Ottawa and Region: Ottawa-based crisis support and suicide prevention organization that partnered with MICA on the 2024 emergency preparedness workshop. Directly comparable as a regional mental health crisis support nonprofit serving the same Ottawa caregiver population.

Broad incumbents

• Carers Canada: National coalition of organizations representing unpaid caregivers across all conditions in Canada. Directly comparable as MICA sits within the broader caregiver advocacy ecosystem and would benefit from or compete with Carers Canada's policy agenda on caregiver recognition and supports.
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): Canada's largest nationwide mental health charity, providing advocacy, programs, and services across all provinces. Directly comparable as both serve caregivers of persons with mental illness, but CMHA operates at a national scale with a much broader mandate that subsumes caregiver support as one program line.
• Mental Health America (MHA): U.S.-based community-based nonprofit addressing the needs of those living with mental illness through advocacy, education, and support. Comparable to MICA in the caregiver-facing mental health advocacy and resource development space at significantly larger national scale.
• Schizophrenia Society of Canada: National Canadian charity supporting individuals and families affected by schizophrenia and psychosis. Comparable to MICA in the family-caregiver support space for a defined mental illness population, but operates at a national scale with condition-specific focus.

Direct peers

• Arafmi (Queensland): Peak body in Queensland, Australia for unpaid carers of people experiencing mental ill-health. MICA is in an active collaborative partnership with Arafmi on the "What Happens When I Am Gone" caregiver future planning project — a direct peer with parallel mission, programs, and target population.
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): Largest U.S.-based grassroots mental health organization with affiliate programs like NAMI Family-to-Family that support caregivers of persons with mental illness. MICA explicitly partners with NAMI Family-to-Family Ontario, indicating direct operational overlap in caregiver education and peer support models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MICAONTARIO
• Facebookfacebook.com/MICAOntario
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mica-ontario

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Mental Illness Caregivers Association