In September 2011, the Minding Our Bodies project released a call for expressions of interest for seed funding for physical activity and/or healthy eating programs. Our team looked forward to hearing about program ideas from community mental health agencies, consumer/survivor initiatives and other organizations in Ontario serving people with serious mental illness. We were thrilled to receive 69 applications from across Ontario! Our program selection committee reviewed the applications and with much deliberation narrowed the list down to our top 20. Each successful applicant will receive $5,000 to plan and deliver a physical activity and/or healthy program between April and September 2012. 

Congratulations to these programs and thank you to everyone who applied. The team at MOB would like to send out a huge thank-you to our program selection group members, who took time out of their own busy schedules to help with the selection process. We are looking forward to seeing these programs get underway and will be sharing more news about them in the spring e-bulletin.

Here is a brief introduction to our top 20 programs:

Across Boundaries — An Ethno Racial Community Mental Health Centre (Toronto)

Across Boundaries provides equitable, inclusive and holistic mental health and addiction services for racialized communities and operates within an anti-racism/anti-oppression framework. Through a community partnership with The Stop Community Food Centre’s Green Barn, Across Boundaries will deliver a program that includes culturally sensitive community gardening, nutrition education, learning to budget and make healthy food purchasing choices, and learning to prepare appetizing, healthy, culturally diverse meals on a limited budget through communal cooking and dining together. Participants will have the opportunity to assist in program design and gain peer support and leadership experience in a supportive environment.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Cochrane-Timiskaming Branch (Kirkland Lake)

CMHA Cochrane Timiskaming works to help people living with, and touched by, mental illness by providing the supports and services needed on their journey to happy and fulfilling lives, while educating and advocating for a caring community where everyone belongs. In close partnership with other local community organizations, CMHA Cochrane Timiskaming will deliver “The Healthy You,” an eight-week education program focused on lifestyle changes and goal setting. This program will include organized exercise classes twice a week, access to a recreation facility and weekly healthy meals. A volunteer driver from the on-site consumer/survivor initiative, Northern Star, will be provided for participants who require transportation.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Fort Frances Branch (Fort Frances)

CMHA Fort Frances works to promote and enhance the mental health of individuals and families in the Kenora and Rainy River Districts, through consumer involvement, programs, services, education and advocacy. CMHA Fort Frances will create a wellness program that takes a holistic approach to making positive lifestyle changes. The program will focus on nutrition counselling, food purchasing, preparation and storage, regular exercise, smoking cessation, proper rest and healthy sleep patterns, and social opportunities.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Huron-Perth Branch (Stratford)

CMHA Huron-Perth provides programs and services for people with mental disorders and aims to enhance, maintain and promote the mental health of all individuals and communities in Huron and Perth Counties. Their program will offer participants 12 weekly sessions at the Local Community Food Centre, incorporating gardening and cooking skills education. After spending time in the garden caring for vegetables they themselves planted, program participants will move into the kitchen to prepare a meal using some of their garden produce, and the session will culminate in the shared enjoyment of that meal.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Peel Branch (Brampton)

CMHA Peel promotes public awareness of mental health, provides direct services where significant gaps exists, helps prevent mental illness, helps identify mental health needs in the community and collaborates in the provision of mental health services. CMHA Peel plans to create a sustainable community garden. To garner interest in the garden, wellness workshops will be offered to clients and staff, facilitated by an expert in community gardens to increase understanding of the health benefits. Once a core group of interested clients has been established, the program will support them in accessing and maintaining the garden. CMHA Peel plans to cultivate a garden large enough for clients to grow enough produce to meet a significant portion of their own personal needs, with any excess being donated to community kitchens and food banks.

Canadian Mental Health Association, Simcoe County Branch (Barrie)

CMHA Simcoe County provides direct services, advocacy and education for people with serious mental illness, their families and the general public. CMHA Simcoe County will offer healthy lifestyle programming to improve life skills related to nutrition, social skills and physical activity for those living with a dual diagnosis (developmental disability and mental illness). Some of the activities to be offered include walking groups, YMCA visits, healthy cooking and food safety classes, take-home cookbooks, yoga, and an emphasis on making social connections.

Can-Voice (London)

Can-Voice is an initiative dedicated to the educational and social support of consumer/survivors of the mental health system in their struggle for wellness, and to the increase of public awareness regarding mental health. Can-Voice’s program will involve planting a raised bed organic vegetable garden on their two-acre site in London, Ontario. Consumer/survivor participants will plan, plant and tend their plots in teams. Workshops on raised bed organic vegetable gardening, nutrition, cooking, and body image will be offered, as well as exercise programs such as yoga, group walking, and meditation in the garden.

Centretown Community Health Centre (Ottawa)

Centretown Community Health Centre (CCHC) offers a broad range of health and social services to individuals and families who live or work in Old Ottawa South, the Glebe and Centretown, as well as certain specialized services to all residents of the Ottawa region. CCHC is planning to adapt their current eight-week “Fun with Food and Fitness” program model to be more supportive of people living with mental health issues. Additions include a session on meditation, tai chi, how healthy eating and physical activity can support smoking cessation, and how it can influence your mood and anxiety. The program will be offered in a community housing building to help participants familiarize themselves with their neighbourhood, meet new people, socialize and help prevent isolation.

Community Outreach Programs in Addictions (Toronto)

Community Outreach Programs in Addictions (COPA) provides case management and treatment services to older adults (55+) with addictions/concurrent disorders and gambling issues. COPA plans to develop and pilot a program model for older adults with mental illness that will include exercise, creating access to healthy food and learning food preparation skills. It is intended that the model, once developed, will be easily implemented in a variety of settings and largely driven by the older adults themselves.

Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre (Toronto)

Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre (DPNCHC) supports people in its neighbourhood, especially those who face economic and/or social barriers, to enrich their lives and the life of the community. DPNCHC will be running a walking group, meeting for an hour three times a week between May and September. This group will include peer leaders to provide support in outreach, motivation, fitness levels, language capacity (Portuguese and Spanish) and follow-up support.

Gateway Residential and Community Support Services of Niagara (Welland)

Gateway Residential and Community Support Services of Niagara is a community mental health organization that offers a variety of supports and programs to consumers, as well as mental health housing in the Niagara region. Gateway will be running a food preparation and safe food preservation group using produce from their recently introduced Good Food Box program . This group will provide opportunities for skill development, social inclusion and mutual support.

Homewood Health Centre (Guelph)

Homewood Health Centre provides a spectrum of behavioural, addiction, and psychiatric services ranging from health promotion to relapse prevention. The Homewood Assertive Community Treatment Team will develop a Healthy Habits program that will run for six weeks, meeting twice a week. One of the sessions will be educational/experiential in nature and will frequently be held in a classroom or kitchen environment. The second session will be focused on physical activity and will include a guided nature walk. Time for informal socializing and peer support will be included in all sessions, as it is considered an essential part of the program.

Horizons for Youth (Toronto)

Horizons for Youth provides emergency accommodations for up to 35 youth, ages 16-24. In addition to shelter, Horizons for Youth offers case management, day programs, employment and career skill building, and housing programs. Horizons for Youth will run a six-month yoga program for clients with mental health issues. The weekly classes will be taught by a certified yoga instructor. For those who are not drawn to yoga, a boot camp style class will be offered once a week.

Horizons Renaissance (Ottawa)

Horizons Renaissance provides housing, community support, court diversion, and other services for francophone community members struggling with mental illness. Horizons Renaissance will offer a three-part program: healthy eating workshops that aim to curb diabetes, hypertension, and hypoglycemia, plus sessions to help participants plan balanced meals that match their financial reality and health conditions; age- and gender-appropriate physical activity sessions based on group interests, including dance, cardio workouts, self-defence, and climbing (indoor and outdoor); and discussion groups with a community psychiatrist that focus on the relationship between healthy eating, physical activity and mental health.

Margaret Frazer House (Toronto)

Margaret Frazer House offers a range of supportive, transitional and permanent housing and support services to women with a history of serious mental illness. The Margaret Frazer House will run a “Passport to Health” program that includes a weekly peer support group focused on goal setting around activities that improve mental health and physical health. Each participant will be given a “passport” in which to record their goals and track the activities they participate in. Activities will include exercise opportunities, educational workshops, a community kitchen and visits to a local rooftop garden.

The Mental Health Support Project (MHSP – The LINK) (Lanark)

The Mental Health Support Project (MHSP) — The LINK is a peer-run wellness recovery centre located in Lanark for people living with mental health challenges. The LINK will run a three-part program involving physical activity, growing fresh vegetables, and healthy cooking and eating. Exercise will include aquafit classes, lane swims, and an indoor walking group. Small veggies will be grown on-site in large planters, with larger crops being grown at an existing community garden space.

Thunder Bay Counselling Centre (Thunder Bay)

Thunder Bay Counselling Centre provides a diverse range of programs and services to individuals, couples, families, and workplaces, addressing issues such as addiction, mental health, family violence, relationships, conflict, grief and coping. Thunder Bay Counselling Centre will be adding a physical activity component to their existing “Pregnancy and Health” program which provides support and alcohol/drug counselling to women who are pregnant and/or have children newborn to six years of age. While already offering a healthy lunch and food bank component, the Pregnancy and Health program will see the addition of walking, yoga, dance, pre/post-natal exercise classes, stretching, weight lifting, swimming, relaxation techniques and a supper club with a planned physical activity.

Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health (Kitchener)

Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health (WRHMH) is a recovery‐oriented, community‐integrated agency that focuses on improved quality of life and enhanced independence for people experiencing mental health issues by providing access to affordable housing and flexible, individualized supports. WRHMH will run an outdoor adventure based program for 16-35 year olds with mental illness. There will be a minimum of one activity or day trip per month. Possible outdoor adventure activities include canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, swimming, ropes courses, camping, rock climbing at a local gym, zip lining, and white water rafting.

WoodGreen Community Services (Toronto)

WoodGreen Community Services is a large, multi-service agency serving downtown and east-end Toronto that works to deliver services that promote wellness and self-sufficiency, reduce poverty and inequality, and build sustainable communities. WoodGreen will offer a “foodtography” program called “A Picnic on the Riverside.” The program will work with 15 Lounge Drop-In users to incorporate healthy food choices into their diet. Participants will create and put together a healthy and affordable menu for their individual lunch boxes. Using a disposable camera, participants will document their experiences over the 12 sessions of shopping, cooking, packing a lunch, discussing and picnicking with the group. At the end of the program, each participant will select a photo to be displayed in the Lounge Drop-In and at a public exhibition space in the neighbourhood.

YWCA Toronto (Toronto)

YWCA Toronto provides a continuum of supports for women and girls, including advocacy, early childhood education, girls and families programming, employment supports, group work, and housing supports. YWCA Toronto will be running a fresh food community gardening program called “Grounding Ourselves” for their Elm Centre community. The experience of designing, implementing, and working in the garden will be supplemented by opportunities to connect with, visit, and invite other gardening and healthy food communities. Complementary programs, such as Sakan yoga, will be tied into the program to give participants the opportunity to learn about, reflect upon, and develop healthy body/healthy mind practices.