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A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR COMMUNITY

CITYLIFE | GOOD CAUSE Thumbs Up Foundation receives $500,000 grant

STORY BY STACIE GAETZ | PHOTO BY KRISTY REIMER

Alocal mental health and addictions foundation is making great strides to help shape the future standard of care in Alberta.

Thumbs Up Foundation was established in 2016 as a result of the sudden passing of Kim Titus’ Brady’s family and friends, including his mom, and his dad (also named Kim) began looking into mental health care and awareness in Alberta, as well as the larger suicide epidemic in Canada. Brady struggled with depression briefly before his suicide and was unable to access crucial mental health care in the weeks 31-year-old son Jesse Braden. “Brady,” as he was known, was a beloved son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend. leading up to his death, according to Titus, founder of Thumbs Up Foundation.

“It is our belief that Brady and thousands more across Canada are falling through the cracks when it comes to receiving quality mental health care in a timely manner,” says Titus.

“When a six-foot, 190-pound man can fall through the cracks, those are some big cracks.”

Thumbs Up Foundation’s purpose is to improve access to mental health care. The vision is to establish and connect resources for those patients suffering in all areas of mental health.

“We want to help improve knowledge around mental health; help to create awareness for the need for systemic changes to the current access to care and educate on the devastating loss that can result from these deficiencies,” says Titus.

Making a difference

The Thumbs Up Foundation recently received $500,000 from the Province to conduct a pilot program called Harmonized Health based on years of research that states the way we are currently dealing with mental health in this province doesn’t work.

“This has been a year in the making and it is so exciting to finally see this funding come through and know that we can move on to the next stage of improving mental health care in Alberta,” says Titus.

The funding comes from the Community Grant Funding Program (CGFP) and is part of $53 million allocated to the provincial COVID Mental Health Action Plan. The CGFP includes $5 million in funding dedicated to local organizations supporting mental health and addiction initiatives in Alberta.

Titus says the funding would have never become a reality if it weren’t for the help of a number of local politicians including Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Jason Luan, Airdrie East MLA Angela Pitt and Mayor Peter Brown.

“If it wasn’t for Angela working on our behalf behind the scenes to help us navigate these waters, we would have easily gotten lost,” says Titus.

“The fact that Peter Brown made himself available to us sends a strong message that we are doing the right thing.”

Pitt says the Thumbs Up approach addresses a gap in the community and will provide much-needed services for those suffering.

“Thumbs Up is at the centre of conversations around mental health in Airdrie so who better to help us get through a difficult time,” she adds.

“Thumbs Up plays a vital role in our community and I’ve just been so honoured to be a part of this journey.”

Airdrie’s mayor agrees and adds the Harmonized Health initiative will help people struggling with mental health issues when they need it most.

“This is an amazing asset to the community that will help people in Airdrie, Alberta and even the whole country to get the help they need before it escalates to a level where they may hurt themselves or someone else,” he says.

Brown adds he hopes within the next 10 years there is no need for an organization like the Thumbs Up Foundation because their hard work has taught people that there is a better way to care for their mental health.

The model

According to Titus, the funding will be put towards Harmonized Health, a pilot project that aims to support individuals and families requiring assistance for mental health and addiction care.

Harmonized Health’s vision is an evidence-based community health model designed to create an integrated and seamless collaboration. The program provides a model where care is provided by professionals (such as doctors and counsellors) as well as non-professionals (people who have been through the program) in a controlled and measured environment.

“The purpose of Harmonized Health is to inform for reform. The information we learn here will reform the standard of care,” says Titus.

“I fundamentally know that if this had been the standard of care when Braden was looking for help, he would still be here.” Harmonized Health is built on four pillars: • Medical Clinic/Physician Assessment • Family Support • Individual Care • Ongoing Maintenance and Recovery Tools

She adds that the pilot program is designed to be a practical example of a community model applying the tactics that are known to be successful through research. The model is meant to be scalable, replicable and transferable to any community including rural settings, Indigenous communities and correctional institutions.

She says the project is currently in the training stage and it is difficult to pinpoint a timeline for the pilot project, but she hopes to have the data compiled by early 2021. life

For more information, visit thethumbsupfoundation.com/news/ or email Titus at kim@thethumbsupfoundation.com

“This has been a year in the making and it is so exciting to finally see this funding come through and know that we can move on to the next stage of improving mental health care in Alberta”