Gary Thandi
This distinguished award recognizes an individual or group in BC that has influenced mental health policy and contributed to positive mental health. A $500 gift is designated for the recipients’ charity of choice.
The award is named in honour of the late Dr. Nancy Hall, who for more than 15 years acted as a key advisor, consultant and friend to CMHA BC. She was also the BC government’s Mental Health Advocate from 1998 to 2001.
The 2016 award was presented to Gary Thandi, founder of Moving Forward Services Society. Gary is acknowledged for having improved the lives of people living with mental health or substance use problems, as well as the lives of family members who have been impacted by their loved one’s difficulties, through his work with Moving Forward Services Society.
The society provides counselling and social work services to Metro Vancouver residents on a ‘pay what you can’ basis—often for free. Through a collective of over 100 counsellors and social workers, services offered include language and culturally responsive services in English, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Hindi, Vietnamese and Urdu. Each week, the agency sees about 400 clients and receives around 20 new referrals.