Healthy Minds Series

Healthy Minds Series
Presented by
Cole Harbour Library and
Cole Harbour / Eastern HRM Mental Health Services

These education sessions are open to anyone interested
and will be held
Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:30 pm
at Cole Harbour Library

Date
Session Topic
September 29, 2010
Adult ADHD: Symptoms, challenges and management strategies for adults living with ADHD.

October 13, 2010
Supporting Families of LGBT Youth
Presented by The Youth Project, an organization that focuses on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity for youth.

Cancellations: In the case of inclement weather and/or if schools have been cancelled, the session will be cancelled. For further information, please call 434-6177.

World Suicide Prevention Day

The 2010 Halifax Walk for World Suicide Prevention Day will be taking place on Sunday, September 12th at 1:30 pm (sharp!). Suicide prevention is everybody's business, so please take a step toward addressing suicide in our communities in Nova Scotia!

The Walk will begin at 1:30 pm (sharp!) at Victoria Park, corner of South Park St. & Spring Garden Rd. (across from the Public Gardens) and will proceed down Spring Garden Rd., turn left onto Barrington St., ending at City Hall in Grand Parade, with info booths, refreshments and a guest speaker.

If you belong to a community group that is involved with mental health issues, suicide prevention or have had a booth at the Walk in previous years and wish to have a booth at the 2010 Walk, please email halifaxwalkwspd@yahoo.com with 'Walk Booth' in the subject line of the email and you will be contacted with further information. There is no cost involved in having a booth (although donations to the Halifax Walk are accepted) but there is limited space.

If you require further information, please contact Laurel Walker, Coordinator, Halifax Walk for WSPD at (902) 830-4986.

This is a rain or shine event and is family friendly!

The 2010 Halifax Walk can be found on Facebook by searching '2010 Halifax Walk for World Suicide Prevention Day' or by email at halifaxwalkwspd@yahoo.com







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Diversity Week

Join Capital Health’s first ever Diversity Week (September 13 to 17). Learn more about the link between diversity and health, find out about the work Capital Health is doing to honour diversity, and celebrate the rich diversity of our communities.


Our schedule of activities is below. Some details are yet to be announced, so please stay tuned for more information. Some of the sessions will also be offered via Telehealth – locations are being confirmed and we will provide this information as soon as it is available.
 
Monday, Sept. 13


Opening Ceremonies

Details to follow

Exploring Links Between Racism and Health

Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard

• Noon to 1:30 p.m.

• 1613 A and B Veterans’ Memorial Building and via Telehealth at Bayers Road Mental Health and the Trifacilities


Karima Bushra

Interpretation Services

• 1 to 2:30 p.m.

• Halifax Infirmary, Room 1243


Aging with Disability and Health

• 7 to 8 p.m.

• Royal Bank Theatre, Halifax Infirmary

Tuesday 14


Internationally Trained Physicians

Suha Masalmeh

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• 1613A Veterans’ Memorial Building


Aboriginal Health Project

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• VG Auditorium

Poverty and Health: A Panel Discussion

• 7 to 8 p.m.

• Royal Bank Theatre, Halifax Infirmary (tentative pending community location)


African Nova Scotian Health Concerns

• 7 to 8 p.m.

• North End Library, Halifax


Wednesday 15


Cultural Competence Education Session

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Room 3215 Cobequid

Contact Sherida Flemming at 473-2313 to register.



What’s Happening with Diversity at Capital Health?

Jeanne Rokosh and Mohamed Yaffa

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• VG auditorium


Transgender Health

Staci Montgomery

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• Dartmouth General Cafeteria

Our Youth and Health

• 7 to 8 p.m.

• Location to be confirmed


Thursday 16



New Guide for New Arrivals in Nova Scotia

Resau Santé

Paul D’Entremont

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• 1613 Veterans’ Memorial Building


Nova Scotia's Cultural Competence Guidelines-Moving Us Closer to Health Equity

Sharon Davis-Murdoch

• Noon to 1 p.m.

• VG auditorium


Karima Bushra

Interpretation Services

• 2 to 3:30 p.m.

• Halifax Infirmary,

Room 1243

Aboriginal Health

• 7 to 8 p.m.

• Micmac Friendship Centre


Friday 17
Closing Ceremonies Details to follow


For more information and an updated schedule, check out the Capital Health website at http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/

The Census Issue

The Halifax Community Health Board feels strongly about the importance of the long form census. Below is the text of a letter sent to the Minister of Industry, Tony Clement.


August 16, 2010


Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry

Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
C.D. Howe Building
235 Queen Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H5

Dear Minister Clement,

We are writing to you on behalf of the Halifax Community Health Board, one of seven volunteer community health boards (CHBs) in the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) in Nova Scotia. We believe that the decision to make the long form census document voluntary is a drastic change that will negatively affect the work that our Board does, along with all of the great work accomplished by our many community partners. Degrading the quality of the data available for the public good will make it more difficult for us and many other organizations working to improve the health of Canadians to identify the needs of our citizens, especially those who are marginalized and vulnerable.

Our health board acts as the eyes, ears, and voice for the health of the citizens of our area, and we work to foster community engagement in health. We work with CDHA to identify barriers to good health and wellness, and to find creative solutions for transforming our health for the future. To complete this very important work, strong data and research are incredibly important. In 2009/2010, the CHBs completed a Community Health Plan that identified eight key priority areas for improving the health of our citizens. We based our plan on a survey conducted using a modified version of the Canadian Community Health Survey used by Statistics Canada. But beyond this, we used dozens of other data sources and research. However, without strong data from Statistics Canada, our work would not have been possible.

We worry that a lack of solid, robust, and reliable data will not allow community members, organizations, businesses, and government to create the most effective programs, services, policies and legislation possible. This will directly affect the health of all of our citizens, and we strongly urge you to continue the status quo of a mandatory long form census.

Sincerely,

Kyle DeYoung Andrea Hilchie-Pye

Co-Chair, HCHB Co-Chair, HCHB


CC Michael Ignatieff
CC Stephen Harper
CC Megan Leslie
CC Jack Layton
CC Gilles Duceppe
CC Elizabeth May
CC Geoff Regan
CC The Coast/The Chronicle Herald

IAP2 Training in Halifax this fall!

Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of Capital Health, I am pleased to invite you to participate in our International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Certificate Program.

At Capital Health we believe meaningful dialogue and strong relationships between us and our patients, staff, clients, community and stakeholders is fundamental to building client and patient-centred care. We strongly support citizen and stakeholder engagement. We believe that citizen and stakeholder engagement is a prerequisite for achieving excellence in health care. Being connected to the people we serve in a meaningful way will ensure that our programs are timely, effective and financially sustainable.

As part of this commitment to citizen and stakeholder engagement Capital Health is hosting an IAP2 Certificate Program to further build skills and capacity within Capital Health and our community. We believe that capacity for our partners, stakeholders and contractors to engage with us and with their stakeholders is also very important. That is why we are extending this invitation for you to join us during this three-part training in Halifax: Planning 16-17 September, Techniques 25-26 October and Communication 27 October. I have attached the course flyer and registration form for your information and consideration, and look forward to the possibility of you joining us for this event.

Please note that you could qualify for a maximum 10% discount off the publicly-listed course price list. If you would like to register or need further information about this training, or about the IAP2 Certificate Program, please contact our instructor, Richard Delaney: delaney@rmdelaney.com

CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM

The CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM is a ten - week - long visual arts open studio program developed specifically for youth who have experienced mental health issues or are presently experiencing a mental illness, between the ages of 17 and 21.


Through the CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM participants will decide what kinds of art materials and processes they want to explore such as drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed - media, graphic story - telling, zines, and more. Participants will be provided with one - on - one support from a Community Arts Educator. There is no cost for this program, and all art supplies are provided. At the end of the program we will celebrate the artworks created by the program participants, through an exhibition open to the public at the Pedway Picture Gallery. Program participants may also be eligible to become a member of the Creative Spirit East Artist Collective and exhibit their art works through Veith Street Gallery Studio Association’s exhibition venues, Veith Street Gallery and the Pedway Picture Gallery.
Please Note: There is a limit of ten participants for this program.

Dates: Friday, September 17th, 24th, October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th (Other dates to be announced)

Times: 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm

Location: Alderney Library, Starr Room, Dartmouth

For more information about the

The CREATIVE START OPEN STUDIO PROGRAM
Contact Gerard McNeil at
456 – 0861 or visualconnectionsproj@gmail.com

Community Mental Health Support Groups

Check out the array of open groups being offered by Capital Health's Community Mental Health at the Bayers Road Clinic. No Pre-registration required. Please register when you attend each session. For more information, please call 454-1441


Anger Control Workshops

Where: McInnis Room (165)

When: Last Monday of each month (except Dec. 27th)

Beginning August 30th, 2010

1:00-4:30 pm (max. 16-18)



Auricular Acupuncture

Where: Serenity Room (105)

When: Monday & Wednesday 11:00-12:00pm

Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm

Friday 9:00-10:00am



CFQ Healing

Where: SerenityRoom (105)

When: Tuesday 12:30-1:30pm



Depression Peer Support

Where: Serenity Room (105)

When: Tuesday 7:00-9:00pm

Contact: Roy Muise (404-7800)



Mindfulness

Where: Bayers Road Centre, Room TBA

When: Wednesday 12:15 – 1:15pm



Recovery Group

Where: Serenity Room (105)

When: Wednesday 1:30 – 2:30



Stress Management

Where: Bayers Road Centre, Room TBA

When: 1st Wednesday of each month

1:30-3:30pm



Walking Group

Where: Serenity Room (105)

When: Monday 1:00-2:30pm

What's your space? - Halifax Central Library Youth Event

SET THE ATMOSPHERE! Tell us what you want to see in the new central library.

WHEN: Tuesday, August 24
             3:30-5:30 p.m.

WHERE: Citadel Hill
              The Garrison Room

We'll meet inside the park gates in the Parade Square. (no charge to get in) Youth ages 12-18 are invited.

To find out more, or to let us know you’re coming — connect on facebook at the What’s Your Space? Halifax Central Library Youth Event page or email teens@halifax.ca

Encouraging Friendships

Having good social relationships -- friends, marriage or children -- may be every bit as important to a healthy lifespan as quitting smoking, losing weight or taking certain medications, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
People with strong social relationships were 50 percent less likely to die early than people without such support, the team at Brigham Young University in Utah found.
They suggest that policymakers look at ways to help people maintain social relationships as a way of keeping the population healthy.

"A lack of social relationships was equivalent to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

Her team conducted a meta-analysis of studies that examine social relationships and their effects on health. They looked at 148 studies that covered more than 308,000 people for their analysis, published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine .

Having low levels of social interaction was equivalent to being an alcoholic, was more harmful than not exercising and was twice as harmful as obesity.

Social relationships had a bigger impact on premature death than getting an adult vaccine to prevent pneumonia , than taking drugs for high blood pressure and far more important than exposure to air pollution , they found.

"I certainly don't want to downplay these other risk factors because of course they are very important," Holt-Lunstad said. "We need to start taking social relationships just as seriously."

PEOPLE INCREASINGLY ISOLATED
Government policies to encourage social relationships will not necessarily be easy, Holt-Lundstad said. "Air pollution and the clean air act -- that is simple policy," she said.

But she has some ideas -- such as making it easier for friends or relatives to take part in medical care, and city planning that encourages interaction.

The different studies measured social interaction in different ways, so the researchers said it was impossible to precisely define positive social interaction.

It equally difficult to study systematically, as it is impossible to randomly assign people to have friends or not have friends. But Holt-Lundstad said there is some evidence that assigning caretakers does not help improve people's health.

"Naturally occurring relationships may be different than support received from someone who is hired for that purpose," she said.

Her team found some troubling evidence that Americans are becoming more isolated, and thus losing the support and care that love and friendship provide.

"For instance, trends reveal reduced intergenerational living, greater social mobility, delayed marriage, dual-career families, increased single-residence households, and increased age-related disabilities," they wrote.

"More specifically, over the last two decades there has been a three-fold increase in the number of Americans who report having no confidant," they added.
"Such findings suggest that despite increases in technology and globalization that would presumably foster social connections, people are becoming increasingly more socially isolated."
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/health+policy+encouraging+friendships/3332453/story.html#ixzz0v4oXf6nl

Job Posting for Club Friday Faciliator

Position Title: Facilitator – Club Friday


Hours: 4 Hours/Week

Under the direction of the Navigator, the Peer Support Worker is responsible to meet all criteria, and carry to completion any duties that she/he is charged with:

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Reports to and meets on regular basis with the Healthy Minds Cooperative staff aligned with Club Friday;
• Is responsible for the planning, preparation, leading, and facilitating of planned Club Friday activities;
• Coordinates and develops weekly schedule with ongoing input from Club Friday members and Healthy Minds Cooperative staff;
• Accompanies Club Friday members on community outings;
• Acts as a role model and provides support to all members participating in Club Friday activities;
• Maintains the Club Friday attendance list;
• Demonstrates effective communication skills and good judgment in interactions with Club Friday members;
• Handles cash for purchases for Club Friday and reconciles receipts and funds associated with role.

Qualifications
• Open to mental health consumers or individuals who have lived experience with mental illness.
• First Aid and/or CPR certification is an asset.
• Membership in the Healthy Minds Cooperative would also be an asset.



Please send resume by August 9, 2010, to:
Healthy Minds Cooperative
c/o The Selection Committee
7071 Bayers Road, Suite 112
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 2C2
or
healthyminds@eastlink.ca


Myra Donnelly-Gay
Executive Director
Healthy Minds Cooperative
The Village at Bayers Road
7071 Bayers Road, Suite 112
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 2C2
Phone: (902) 404-3504
Fax: (902) 404-3584
Email: healthyminds@eastlink.ca
Website: www.healthyminds.ca