The newly appointed Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association in Kamloops says he is excited to continue to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable people.

Alfred Achoba officially took over this past Monday, Nov. 1, after having served as the interim Executive Director since last year.

“We were building something really strong. We were building a team and that takes time,”  he told NL News. “And when you think about the work ahead, it does take time to make sure we have all our ducks in a row and the board took their time to come up with their decision and I took my time to also see what the future has ahead.”

Achoba takes over from former Executive Director Christa Mullaly who was suspended in September of 2019, amid an investigation into ‘operational challenges’ at the CMHA Kamloops branch.

“You know the branch here at CMHA has been thorough a lot and within that time, you know myself and my team members have stepped up to really lead the branch and make us champions in what we are doing,” Achoba added. “So it feels good to see that work turn out.”

“It also feels good to be able to serve Kamloops and the folks who are suffering from mental health, it does feel good to be able to do that.”

In a statement, CMHA Kamloops board president Greg Thomson says the board is happy to have Achoba on board.

“We are pleased Alfred has accepted this role on a permanent basis,” Thompson said. “Alfred has been with the branch for several years, and during his time, has done an excellent job of leading the team through several challenges, building strong relationships in the community and with team members, and enhancing the impact of the branch on people with mental health and/or substance use challenges.”

“His compassion, dedication, and commitment to the community will continue to build on the vital work of CMHA Kamloops in supporting mental health for all.”

Achoba joined the CMHA as a support worker in 2013. He served as the Manager of Homelessness Services and Shelter Operations from 2014 to 2017, where he was responsible for the management, supervision, professional development, and evaluation of CMHA Kamloops Emergency Shelters.

In 2019, he was appointed the Acting Operations Leader where the CMHA says he “played a key role” in the opening, and ongoing management of Rosethorn House.

Achoba, who was raised in Nigeria, says he is honoured to be taking over the top job at the CMHA in Kamloops, adding there is a lot of work to be done, including on social issues.

“We’ve seen how COVID has exacerbated the impacts of mental health in our community and our goal over the next few years is to see how we can close some of that gap,” he said. “These gaps have been in place for longer than the pandemic and so we’ll be working on expanding services to meet more people, making sure mental health is accessible which is our number one priority.”

“The more we can bring people indoors, the more we can provide safe spaces for folks, we can help deal with some of the dual crises that we’re seeing,” Achoba added.
“I mean, when you add that to COVID and the other crises that we have in our society and more people falling to poverty, it is a lot for social agencies and so we would need to leverage all the support we can get provincially, thorough the city and through other stakeholders.”

“There are challenges but we’re looking forward to working together as a team.”