- Aqua fitness
- Badminton
- Bowling
- Hiking
- Mixed activities
- Outdoor adventure
- Walking
As a community-based mental health agency, Mental Health Services Hastings Prince Edward Corporation helps people over the age of 16 who have a mental illness or mental health concerns. Because we are funded by the Southeast Local Health Integration Network (SE LHIN) and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, our services are free. We work with people who have Schizophrenia, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Personality Disorder, Severe Anxiety, Dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We offer free recreation activities that are planned out in a calendar and sent to counselors to let clients know. Our summer 2010 calendar includes:
- Baseball Group every Wednesday in the summer at 1pm.
- Gardening - Designed for both recreational and practical purposes, the gardening program offers clients an opportunity to gain from all the benefits of outdoor physical activity while providing a chance to socialize with a common interest in mind. It is the goal of the program to provide clients with a basic education in horticulture and to foster self motivation in regards to the development and maintenance of the garden. Location: The old school yard, corner of Octavia and Catherine St., in Belleville
- Tennis / Badminton and Aqua yoga group at the YMCA
- Variety Community Recreation programs – Mondays at 1pm
- Billiards- Thursdays at 1pm
- Bowling – Fridays at 1pm
- Walking Tuesdays in Belleville and Walking Group in Picton
We also host a number of outings to go camping or hiking, host barbeques, strawberry picking and visiting parks and a local farm.
We partner with local agencies to do program planning and to involve more clients in activities. We are working with MHSN and local hospital Assertive Community Treatment team.
Among our successes, social networking is happening among clients. Certain programs have sparked interest in specific activities; for example, some people from our gardening group have started to volunteer with a garden at the food bank. Our camping trip which brings 30 people on an overnight trip and a day trip have meant that some clients have taken the initiative to go with friends on their own. Challenges can include client motivation and transportation. We try to make our programs accessible by making them free of charge and nearby, so that people can do these activities on their own.
For more information, contact:
Matt Smith, Recreationist
Mental Health Services Hastings Prince Edward Corporation
www.mentalhealthservices.ca; 613-967-4734
