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Calgary has Recovery College.
In Kelowna, it’s known as Discovery College.
Soon, the South Okanagan Similkameen branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association will have its own unique ‘college’.
“Leah (Shulting, executive director) asked me if I could take a few courses from them (Discovery College) and see if I could get an idea of what they were doing,” said South Okanagan Similkameen CMHA facilitator Bailey Hillman.”We want to try and implement something like it here.”
The goal is to bring people together with mental health issues, and talk through those issues in a group setting.
“It was a very discussion-based course. They would give you a worksheet and outline of the course, and you would do some activities,” added Hillman, a recent graduate of UBCO. “We did one mindfulness course, where they talk you through just calming yourself down. It was very discussion based - people sharing their struggles.”
With that information in mind, the South Okanagan Similkameen CMHA is launching the pilot project at Unity House in Penticton, where the local branch is located.
“We started piloting courses last Friday. We did a self-care workshop. We are having members come in, take the full course, and then they’re giving me feedback on what could be improved in the course - if it was helpful to them, and any thoughts they have,” explained Hillman. “We had three members attend. There is still a struggle with some members not wanting to come in (due to COVID-19). Next time we’re going to have the Zoom set up as well. People can also come in if they would like to, so everyone who wants to get feedback can.”
The whole idea is to connect with people - to give them a voice.
“We’ve also asked some of them if they would be interested in co-facilitating, which would be fantastic,” added South Okanagan Similkameen CHMA executive director Leah Schulting. “Bailey is the facilitator, but if she had someone with experience next to her who could answer some of those difficult questions on folks that maybe have bipolar, or anxiety or depression, or whatever they’re struggling with, then the person who is teaching the course can really relate to them.”
If the first meeting is any indication, the new pilot project is destined to help many people cope with their mental health issues.
“It was mostly positive feedback. They all said they would recommend it to a friend, that they would take the course again, that it was helpful to them,” said Hillman. “Even if they can share their own experiences with others, it makes people more comfortable, rather than me just talking to them. We got them to do some self-care planning, and a worksheet checklist to find out what they’re good at, and what they need to work on.
“The group then acknowledged five things they needed to work on, write them down, and execute them in their day-to-day lives.”
A grant from the United Way has allowed the branch to incorporate the education element into their programs.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for us. This branch has Unity House. It’s been more of a drop-in clubhouse, and we’ve always wanted to pivot and have more of an educational focus,” added Schulting. “The grant has given us the opportunity to really delve into this program, and put some resources into developing these courses and get us going in that direction.”
“I’ve seen Kelowna do it, and we’ve wanted to do it. This is the perfect time, given Dr. Bonnie Henry recently indicated 47% of the people in BC have seen a decline in their mental health since COVID-19.”
The courses will be free to anyone in the public once the pilot project passes in fall.
“We think there will be a lot of interest from the public,” said Schulting. “It's not just for folks with a diagnosed mental illness. It’s for all of us.”
For further information on the Canadian Mental Health Association, click here.
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