Among Friends is a social/recreation program for people with lived experience of mental illness. We are part of LAMP Community Health Centre in South Etobicoke.

Our program is unique because we have a holistic approach to recovery from mental illness. Our recovery and wellness philosophy directs the fitness component of the program schedule. Throughout the week we offer Tai Chi, local health club fitness programs and general workout space in the gym 7 days a week, we have a swimming program, a beginners program called FIT, yoga and walks in the parks and around the community.

As a program of LAMP community health centre we also offer health promoting activities around cooking on a budget and nutrition; the West Toronto Diabetes Education Program is housed at LAMP so all of their expertise is right at hand. LAMP offers a smoking cessation group, and the family practitioners run programs for our members in our space so people feel more comfortable asking the questions. We have access to adult learning and literacy tutoring. Our members have access to advocacy as well. We will assist them in speaking with landlords, doctors, Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works we help them find their own voices.

Among our partners, we work with the West Toronto Diabetes Education Program and the Health Promotion Team at LAMP Community Health Centre. The City of Toronto has given us the ability to offer full health club memberships to all of our members. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health participates in some of our fitness programs.

For peer leadership, our fitness program at the community gym is run by one of our members with a staff person there as support only. She has increased our member participation from 3-4 to 8-12. We are running a WRAP program here and are in the process of developing a formal leadership program. We pay the members who do various skilled jobs in our program. Cleaners, fitness instructor, tai chi peer support worker and a craft instructor. We have a planning meeting monthly to bring people together to set our monthly activity calendars.

The funding for our entire program comes from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

It is often a challenge to motivate members to begin a program. Our successes are numerous. The woman who now runs our fitness program has lost 125lbs in the process and is a real role model for our members. Our successes shine when people come out and give it a try. We tell everyone that we will be there [for them], we can walk to the gym with them, whatever they need to get them there. We are always modifying our programs to suit the different folks that show up to the program.

For more information, contact:
Deborah Quiggin
Program Coordinator - LAMP Community Health Centre, Among Friends Program
Phone: 416-251-8666
E-mail: deborahq [at] lampchc [dot] org

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