Partners & Funders

Meaningful change requires collective action. Wellstream’s strategic partnerships and trusted funder relationships create the foundation for sustainable impact across communities, provinces and territories, and the nation.

Bunyaad Public Affairs is a bilingual strategic communications and public engagement firm that works with organizations and leaders across Canada to advance meaningful dialogue and foster understanding on complex social issues.

Through expertise in K-12 public education and health, Bunyaad helps partners connect with diverse audiences and translate research and policy into accessible, actionable messages and systems change.

The Bunyaad team was instrumental in co-founding Wellstream for Schools and has played a critical role in our Transforming Substance Use Harm Prevention in Canadian Schools initiative.

The Canadian Association of School System Administrators (CASSA) is a national organization that connects and supports education leaders across Canada to promote excellence and equity in publicly funded education.

Through collaboration, research, and professional learning, CASSA strengthens leadership capacity and advances inclusive, evidence-informed practices that enhance student well-being and achievement.

In partnership with CASSA, we have co-developed a pan-Canadian standard—School-Based Substance Use Prevention, Education, and Intervention: A Multi-Tiered and Developmental Approach for Kindergarten to Grade 12 Schools. This initiative provides clear, evidence-informed guidance to help schools across the country respond to student substance use through effective prevention, education, and intervention strategies.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is a national organization that provides leadership and evidence-informed guidance to address substance use and its impacts on individuals, families, and communities across Canada.

Through research, policy development, and collaboration across sectors, CCSA advances a public health approach to substance use—one that emphasizes prevention, harm reduction, and overall wellness.

In partnership with CCSA, we’re helping K–12 schools deliver comprehensive, evidence-informed approaches to addressing substance use and related harms, fostering healthier environments for students and their communities.

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is one of Canada’s oldest and most extensive community mental health organizations, dedicated to promoting mental health for all and supporting the well-being of people living with mental health challenges.

Through education, advocacy, and the delivery of community-based programs, CMHA works to reduce stigma, improve access to services, and strengthen mental health systems across the country.

In partnership with Wellstream, CMHA was an early leader in monitoring the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing needed data to inform evidence-informed policy and practice.

The Community Action Initiative (CAI) is a non-profit organization based in British Columbia focused on transforming how mental health and substance use challenges are addressed across the region.

CAI’s approach is rooted in trust-based granting, capacity building, and immersive community engagement. They invest in local wisdom and lived experience to help shape mental health and substance use programming that is community-led, responsive, and sustainable.

Their funding initiatives span the continuum of mental health and substance use — from prevention to treatment — with a commitment to equitable representation across demographic groups and geographic regions in B.C.

By partnering with CAI, our work aligns with their mission to center local voices, empower communities, and build stronger, community-driven responses to youth substance use.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is Canada’s federal funding agency for health research, dedicated to improving the health of Canadians through the creation and application of new knowledge. CIHR supports a broad range of health research, from biomedical to social and population health sciences, fostering innovation and evidence-based solutions.

Our funding support from CIHR advances our efforts to strengthen mental health and substance use outcomes for children, youth and their communities across Canada.

Michael Smith Health Research BC is British Columbia’s health research agency, dedicated to advancing the health and well-being of British Columbians through strategic investments in research and innovation.

Their approach focuses on:

Building and retaining health research talent
Catalyzing health research system solutions
Mobilizing action on health research priorities

By partnering with Michael Smith Health Research BC, our work aligns with their mission to support a vibrant, inclusive, and globally competitive health research system that benefits people and communities in British Columbia and beyond.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) is a federal agency dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of Canadians through leadership, partnership, and innovation in public health. PHAC focuses on preventing disease and injury, addressing health inequities, and responding to public health emergencies.

PHAC’s approach emphasizes evidence-based programs and policies that support healthy environments and communities nationwide.

By partnering with PHAC, our work aligns with their commitment to improving youth mental health and substance use outcomes through collaborative, community-driven public health initiatives that promote resilience and well-being for children, youth, and families.