Mental Health Initiative
Planning Day
May 7, 2012
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Present:
David Sherwood
Sara Hammel
David North
Diana McDonnell
Laurie Dubie
Joan Hodge
Alison Ingus
Tawnya Boileau
Sue Griff
Kevin Kapler
Marci Brayere
Marg Fancy
Lois Dewey
Lynda Earl
Presenter
Tri-County Addition Services
Tri-County Addition Services
Lanark County Mental Health
Leeds, Grenville Rehab & Counselling
United Way Leeds Grenville
Upper Canada District School Board
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit
Catholic District School Board Eastern Ontario
Mental Health for Children and Youth -Leeds Grenville
Country Roads Community Health Centre
Every Kid in Our Community
Healthy Communities Partnership: LLG
Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit (recorder)
Purpose of the Day: Who are we, do we continue, where do we go next?
David’s role: Help us to have our discussion to determine which direction we are going.
Why am I here? Why was I attracted to this group?
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HCP did community assessment – looked at 6 priority areas – mental health was one of the priority
areas.
To figure out what the goal is?
Co-chair of EKIOC
Encourage collaboration
Working with board (mental health) small community-based agency can’t do everything.
Everyone does work around mental health, although it may not be called that
Believe in community, collaboration of the community
Opens the door for the education
Community health, well being, progress, linking all community partners to strengthen
Motivated by the idea that we have a clearer understanding of mental health in the broad way
Meet people, hear what people have to say, to determine how we fit into mental health
Prevention, overall health you need mental health, use the research
Interested in finding out what this group does and how it can be applied to their agency
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Equality, access among ourselves
Poverty, addictions, are major mental health piece
How to bridge Health Promotion with clinical work, how to incorporate with their clients
Supporting youth, rural community, what steps to take next to better support youth, and to support
the community
United Way supports agencies throughout L/G, work with children, has two programs in the schools
promoting mental health, go back to executive direction – give a direction for United Way
Connector to bring together support and families, how do we build assets in kids
Opportunities for strategy sharing, partnerships
Understanding what’s happening in our organization
Understanding differences/commonalities in regions
Words David Heard
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Collaboration
partnerships
spectrums
all are needed
understanding
Goal for the group at the end of the day
Nice, like, energy, encouragement, enjoyment
Learn
Participate
Explore
Supports for mental health – various words
David didn’t here
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Client group
Geography
Didn’t introduce yourself as your job title
Additional Thoughts Identified
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Agree with the strength of collaboration and partnerships
Direction
Lots of action, moving all the time
Looking for direction to guide the work I do for my organization, no need to reinvent the wheel
Start to think what we mean by collaboration, clear understanding of what we mean
Shared responsibilities, wealth of experience, breaking down of silo’s
Learn from one another
Need specific goals
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Don’t include our cliental in our process
Goal to be advocates all the time
Promote the well being of our clients
Talk about collaboration we must include our clients we work with and community members
Direction for community – to better serve the community
Advocate for young people
David heard this time
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Direction
Movement
Alignment
Shared responsibility
What would the client, community say?
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Listen
Count me in
Hear my voice
Your’ not listening
The system is broken
Involvement
Think about what you are doing
Meet my needs
You are not listening
Do not judge me
I am confused
Speak in terms I can understand
What are the strengths of this group? What are the resources, what is the experience, what we have
already done well as a group? Resources, experience, positive approach
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Diverse
Connections
Opportunities
Respect for different opinions
Represent multiple partners
Exposure to evidence based practice
Experience
Naïve – non-biased conversations/honesty
Dedication to the community
Courage to be an advocate
Identified a gap in communication follow-up
Small community (enables us to just do things)
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Collaboration
Community
Partnerships
Spectrum
shared responsibilities – no silos
What would the clients be saying now?
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They really care about us
Wish they were here
Exercise - Turn to the Future – ideal, visionaries, very positive, not constrained by your knowledge of
limitations and weakness, building on the strength
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Parents learning how to be strength based, community learn about identifying strengths and
working from that basis
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Transportation
Housing
Poverty
Income security
Transportation – provide free transportation throughout LG – eg via integration with school bus
system
Communication –
Program in elementary school to share strengths differences, growth
Expand with meeting basic needs
Increase working together
Examine issues – priority issues – can we move forward with what we have or do we need more
Specifics – clearly collectively identify starting point which is naming “key focus areas” to move
forward
Educate on relationship between mental & physical health & social determinants
Resiliency
Building assets
Hot breakfast and lunch for all schools
Reduce barriers to community involvement
Increase understanding of who does what using a common language
Every door the right door
Advocacy
Advocate – engage all services in voting for political candidates at all levels who support social
service
Commitment
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1st Group
 Continue to build knowledge of services
 Support existing initiatives and partnerships already working on issues were identified (e.g. food
security, transportation)
 Community building activities and to support common language
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Identify specific objectives with tangible
2nd Group
 Social determinants
 How social determinants – our own services, info available on services when asked
 Ministry continue to fragment how we do things – clean up the mess
 How do we as a community bring those fragments together and work together
3rd Group
 What we do well already
 Willingness to understand
 Sharing of ideas
 Evidence-based, structure
 Commitment for change, growth
 Build hope, recognize cultures and capacity for change (foster)
 Starting small to build upon
 Money not a barrier – interconnect with services – Algoma model
Assets
 Open to learning, appetite and respect
 Mental well being, how to stay well
 “willingness to understanding – social determinants of health – food, shelter, employment
 Willingness to stop and reflect
 Facilitation to move forward
 Community partnerships, executive sponsorship
Resources
 Diversity
 Understanding what we do
 Promotion to recognize personal resources
 Shared resources
 Relationship building
 Who else may be needed – transitional youth – children
 LHIN to be engaged bridge conversation
 Primary care providers
Best Use / Roles
 Think globally, act locally
 Inventory of activities related to determinants of health in the community (ourselves & others)
 I.D. assets/gaps
 Same common messages
 Use MH as vehicle
 Build & incorporate development assets
 Communication/information
 Continue to build knowledge of service
 Support existing initiatives and partnerships who are already working on issues we have identified
(e.g. food security, transportation)
 Community building activities to support common language
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Identify a specific project with tangible outcomes to “rally around” e.g. drug strategy in L/G
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Direction, action
Parents/teachers/community learn strength based and use to assist others
Schools recognize emotional literacy leading to resiliency
Clear map of who does what and why
Clients know we care and they can be safe and needs are really met
Common language
No silos
Client based
System structure
More $
Focus on issues that make a difference to improve lives
Expand social stage of schools – holistic, partners
Visible mental well-being
Strengthen inter generational communication
Enter one door for all services – build capacity
Mind meld
Kids better
Families supported
Staff trained/emotional
Community safety – excitement, strength
Gardens
Activities
Home/shelter
Bridges/accessibility
Collective consciousness
Free communication (other than travel/transportation)
Leading to grounded ACTION
Support families
Developmental assets imbedded strengths
Funding $ collaborative
Every door the right door
Does this fit my organization’s mandate?
What makes “this” different/distinct from other groups?
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Will decide on what we do next.
It fits, but will depend on the direction of the group
It fits
Not sure if it fits with mandate
Not different or distinct from other groups we belong to
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Yes it fits the mandate more now than it did before.
Allow us to address the pieces to help youth before they get to the point they need intervention
Yes, whole focus is mental health focus and resiliencies
What makes “this” different or distinct from other groups?
 Confusion with mandates as to what services being provided
 How can we work together – preventive measures
 One group in which mental health, health and education and others at the same table
 Very specific focus on well-being and mental health
 Working together for the benefits to reduce social determinants
 We have no formal mandate, and we don’t report to anyone
 Project with tangible outcomes, what could we do together – everyone agreed
 Geography – Lanark, Leeds and Grenville counties – everyone agreed
 Workable
 Common framework around mental health
 Not too big or too small
 Respectful of the school board mandate
 Observable outcomes
 Risk free way to play
Is this distinct from other groups to make me want to continue?
 Yes 8
 Maybe 1
 Not enough details to determine what is distinct from other groups 2
Who else should be in the circle?
 Children’s Mental Health Lanark
 Coordinator of Children’s Planning Table Lanark
 Youth Justice
 Primary Health Teams
 CPHC – Brockville, CHC’s – Portland, North Lanark, Merrickville/Smiths Falls
 How do we ask for representative when they are spread across the tri-county? Suggestion is that a
representative from the group. Need to avoid getting too big! Example by geography, function or
mandate. A survey could be sent to the groups.
Potential Action Items
 Municipal Drug Strategy – Lanark County, promote in Leeds & Grenville
 Healthy Communities stewardship group identify that they would like to develop a community
charter – (develop an assessment tool for the municipalities)
 This group could develop the mental health piece that would fit into the Healthy Communities
 Inserting mental health framework into what makes a community healthy – recreation,
sustainability
Other action items will emerge that this circle would initiate?
Next Agenda
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Partnerships
Projects
Having too many items to do is a challenge with limited resources
Forum to bring ideas together, and keep it workable
Hold the meetings tri-county
Healthy Communities
Mental well-being
Municipal drug strategy – moving to include Leeds/Grenville, and add Addictions to the strategy
Inventory/Gaps
Scan for existing partnerships and emerging community initiatives
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Healthy Communities – Lois
Municipal Drug Strategy – Sara/Margaret
Inventory/Gap – case by case base, not an actually inventory – all
Scan for existing partnerships and emerging community initiatives - ongoing
“Good to know”
Next Action: Lois to use Doodle for the next meeting.
Final Comments:
 Excited about today as we come to the table as a group of well intended people, have a vision, plan,
engaged new partners, respectfully way conversations emerged.
 Helped us move forward in a good way, intelligence in the group
 New opportunities, great circle of people, new partnerships
 Meet expectations, moving forward
 Enjoyed the process
 Great group
 Not being directed to do, it is an opportunity
 Not a repeat of anything else
 Thrilled beyond words
 A very good feeling, lot of wisdom in the room, you can joke and it is okay, combination of action
items and longer goals are a winning contribution
Kevin thanked David for helping us through the day and walking us through the processes.