Dave Gallson is the National Executive Director of Mood Disorders Society of Canada.

He also:

• Is a Certified Association Executive;
• In 2002 founded a highly successful seven week skills development program for persons with mental health issues/disabilities. This initiative, originally started with dedicated participant volunteers who worked tirelessly to raise funds for the project, resulted in significant achievements for the persons enrolled in the program.
• In 2003 the program was then renamed BUILT Network and Dave continued his leadership of it 6-project sites national expansion for the next seven years. By that time, the BUILT Network assisted over 1,300 Canadians dealing with mental illnesses to return to work or school after successfully completing the program;
• Has a strong interest and knowledge base in patient advocacy and has close working relationships at the Federal level with Health Canada, ESDC, Office for Disabilities Issues, Public Safety, and other Federal departments;
• Led the development of the first Mental Health Commission of Canada website, where his design consultation and leadership of the initial programming team assured the success of the project; and
• In 2012, developed the Defeat Depression Mental Health Campaign and expanded it to a national fundraising walk/ ride supporting Canadians to raise millions of dollars for community mental health organizations across the country
• Developed Transitions to Communities, a national multi-site employment training program supporting Veterans employment goals
• Envisioned the creation of the MIRA Virtual Assistant AI Chatbot in Canada, bringing together project partners, affiliates and sponsors in a collaborative and inclusive effort to improve access to programs, resources and support for all Canadians.
• Dave is well known in the mental health community, having developed a wide government and stakeholder network through his reputation of leadership through caring. Dave is engaged nationally on many committees and panels where he speaks from both a professional and personal experience. Some of his involvement includes:

• • Member, Board of Directors, Canadian Depression Research and Intervention Network
  • Member, Minister of Veterans Affairs, Mental Health Advisory Panel
  • Completed a four-year term as Co-Chair of the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health
  • Core Planning Committee, International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership, Vancouver 2015
  • National Advisory Committee, Clara’s Big Ride
  • Steering Committee Member, Canadian Working Group on HIV and Rehabilitation
  • Past Committee Member, Episodic Disabilities Network
  • Past EDN Policy Working Group Member
  • Past Chair, Canadian Coalition of Alternative Mental Health Resources
  • Past Director, Communications Committee, CCAMHR
  • Past Member, Knowledge Exchange Initial Steering Committee; Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • Past Member, Canadian Psychological Association Task Force on Evidence-Based Psychological Treatments
  • Past Member, Consumer Peer Research Network Project Committee, Mental Health Commission of Canada
  • Past Director, Local Training and Adjustment Board, Nipissing, Muskoka and Parry Sound
  • Past Ex-Officio, BUILT Network, Provincial Board of Directors