Innovating Mental Health.
First, let’s start with the name.
Pronounced with a long “I” sound, the name “VĪV” is derived from – and rhymes with – the words “survive” and “revive“. These words represent two of the most prominent pillars in a mental health journey, highlighting the need for individuals to not only cope with and work through challenges, but also the need to take action in recovery, prevention, and self-empowerment.
Founded in 2020, the first iteration of VĪV Mental Health was simply called “The VĪV Mental Health Initiative” and began as an advocacy project by founder Kristopher Marks. Kris launched “The VĪV Mental Health Podcast” at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and grew a substantial social media following by sharing his personal experiences with accessing mental health resources, surviving suicide, coping with depression, and by helping to de-stigmatize the conversations surrounding mental health. As a Red Seal Journeyman machinist, Kris was able to grow an audience within the trades and with those who also struggled to manage their mental health while working in physically and mentally-demanding careers. He also found support in the spaces of men’s mental health, workplace wellness, and community engagement.
Kris became certified as a Psychological Health & Safety Advisor through the Canadian Mental Health Association and began facilitating workplace mental health and respectful workplace training for businesses across Alberta. Opportunities to deliver keynote speeches at conferences, schools, and community events soon followed, and he quickly grew to become a respected and prominent voice in the spaces of mental health, leadership, resilience-building, and empowerment.
VĪV Mental Health supports three key stakeholders: Workplaces, Communities, and Schools. We also provide professional media production through our subsidiary VĪV Productions, ranging from podcast production and social media content to training videos and other audio/visual engagement services.
We are passionately committed to ensuring that accessible, affordable, and inclusive mental health support is available to everyone, and that it is delivered with purpose, consistency, and compassion. Our goal is to innovate beyond expectations and work to improve upon the systems and resources already in place.
We look forward to sharing our passion and commitment to better health with you, your workplace, and your community.
Kris Marks
Kris is the founder and owner of VĪV Mental Health, an initiative developed in 2020 as a platform to innovate how mental health training, advocacy, and engagement could be delivered to businesses, schools, and communities. The name “VĪV” was derived from (and rhymes with) the words “survive” and “revive”, two key pillars in Kris’ own mental health journey and subsequent work in the mental health field. He is a Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor through the Canadian Mental Health Association with training certificates in both Mental Health and Psychological First Aid.
Rachelle Kay
Rachelle is the Project Manager & Program Development Specialist at VĪV Mental Health. Her client-centred approach and passion for innovation keeps the VĪV team focused on their goals, guiding clients from assessment to the delivery of exceptional resources and training. She is a skilled facilitator, developer, and detail-oriented action-taker.
