Mental health is influenced by risk and protective factors that occur in the many different areas of everyday life.  Therefore, MDECC believes that mental health is an issue for the entire community, requires a whole of community response, and delivers benefits to the whole community.

MDECC provides mental health promotion which is action taken to enhance mental health and wellbeing among young people, parents and families.  It is a process concerned with changing environments (social, physical, economic, educational, cultural) and enhancing coping skills of communities, families, and individuals.  Mental health promotion aims to increase connectedness and supportiveness.

Mental health promotion and drug related prevention rest on the same principle, that of reducing risk factors and building protective factors.  Mental health promotion is integrated across all drug and alcohol programs delivered by MDECC including health promotion, early intervention, and counselling/treatment programs.