Wisdom2Action: Ottawa

OTTAWA Event February 13, 2014

Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health

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Context

Product

The CYCC Network is a knowledge mobilization network that was created to improve mental health and well-being for at-risk children and youth in Canada. It promotes the use of research, best and promising practices and local knowledge in mental health programming for children and youth in challenging contexts.

Our Wisdom2Action outreach events bring together members of the local community who are passionate about improving the mental health and well-being of young people. The events are designed to help participants connect, share knowledge, and promote promising practices. As the first of these events, Wisdom2Action Toronto acted as a prototype for further gatherings.

The Wisdom2Action process is guided by a national committee that includes Network members across Canada. CYCC Network staff then connect with Network members in each community to develop a local planning team that guides the planning process through distinguishing the local need and rationale for an event like Wisdom2Action, identifying participants to be invited and providing advice on logistics. The national committee – along with the Toronto planning team – met in October 2013 and developed a statement of purpose, principles and outcomes.

Network Objectives Promote knowledge and understanding about CYCC Network Expand Network community dialogue on core themes with a focus on best practice Deepen local connections amongst partners Purpose Wisdom to Action: Sharing stories of best practice, and discovering ways to better mobilize what we know so we can support young people more effectively.

Hear stories from local promising practices related to the CYCC Network mandate Understand barriers to putting new programming into action Develop action plans Document best practices, share best practices and learn from others about best practices.

Principles

Support goals of CYCC Network (best practices, interdisciplinary, three pillars) Ensure diverse engagement (youth to funders to decision makers) Multi sectoral (including private sector and public sector) Model best practices in technology and youth engagement Co-created locally Youth engagement

  In Ottawa, the CYCC Network co-created and co-hosted the event with a local planning and hosting team, including youth and staff from community organizations. The planning team worked with New Leaf Social Innovation to host this gathering.

This report outlines the agenda of the day, explains the processes used, and highlights the themes that emerged from the many shared stories and conversations.

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Approach: Hosting, Harvesting and Experimenting

Purpose and Agenda

Hosting and Harvesting, Experimenting Participatory methods and tools from the Art of Hosting and Harvesting Meaningful Conversations created a framework for the day with many opportunities for rich conversations.

The purpose of this event was to explore how to bring wisdom to action to better support youth in challenging contexts. More than 70 people gathered for this day of networking, offering stories of practices, asking questions, and sharing learnings.

Art of Hosting is a highly effective approach of harnessing the collective wisdom and self-organizing capacity of groups of any size.

Based on the assumption that humans give their energy and lend their resources to what matters to them, the Art of Hosting blends a suite of powerful conversational processes to invite people to step in and take charge of the challenges facing them. (Learn more at www. artofhosting.org)

The day began with a creative registration activity. The participants were eventually guided to a circle where the day was framed and we were welcomed into the space with a blessing and song. This was followed by active introductions, and PechaKucha Presentations.

Harvesting refers to making visible what has occurred at the event – the fruits of the conversations. This is the practice of bringing wisdom into action. Our approach to harvesting this gathering was based on experimenting with the question: How do we activate the wisdom that is present in the room and share it with a wider network?

The harvesting tools we employed included video, photos, conversation hosting templates, social media, and graphic recording.

Creative Registration As participants arrived, they were greeted with an unconventional registration experience. Each person had their photo taken with an instant camera. They put this photo on a “Profile Card” where they answered the questions: What do you hope to learn? What do you hope to share? These “profiles” were posted on the wall so all participants could better connect with one-another.

This harvesting tool immediately highlighted the richness and diversity of people in the room, helped everyone arrive in the context of the day in a playful manner and brought focus to their own learning objectives and offerings. The wall of “profiles” acted as a visual networking tool throughout the day.

The group then participated in the “Nurturing the Field” World Café.

The remainder of the day was spent in two rounds of Open Space process which created the time and space for people to engage deeply and creatively around issues of concern to them. The first round encouraged discussion of promising practices, while the second round encouraged “digging deeper.”

A creative corner was set up for silent art making and quiet contemplation. Music played softly during conversations to create a comfortable atmosphere.

Active Introductions

The event began with everyone sitting in a circle. Participants were invited to walk around the room until the facilitator said “Stop”, at which time they were to find two other people to exchange conversation with. This was done three times, each round with a different question to spark conversation: Introduce yourself and why you came. What do you want to learn? What do you hope to share?

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PechaKucha Presentations

Inspirations from projects and experiences were offered by four participants using the visual 20x20 PechaKucha format. In a PechaKucha presentation, the presenter has 20 images in their slide show and each image is shown for 20 seconds. This is a fun way for presenters to concisely share their stories, where participants are engaged by images and spoken words.

The best PechaKucha presentations uncover the unexpected talent ideas. PechaKucha events started in Tokyo in 2003 by two architects who combined PowerPoint with the notion of a visual poetry slam they now take place in 266 cities around the globe. For more information on PechaKucha, visit: www.pecha-kucha.org

The CYCC Network and Knowledge Mobilization | Lisa Lachance, CYCC Network Lisa introduced the CYCC Network to the participants, many of whom had never heard of the organization or its goals. She highlighted the importance of knowledge mobilization and some of the CYCC Network’s initiatives to innovate the area, including the Wisdom2Action event series.

PechaKucha Highlights: The CYCC Network is a national network that connects people working in community based organizations and academics.

The Network focuses on capturing and sharing best and promising practices from its members and beyond.

The Network also focuses on knowledge mobilization - sharing knowledge across silos.

Good information can be evidence-based practice, practice-based evidence or local knowledge.

Technology | Emily Zinck, CYCC Network Emily Zinck presented a PechaKucha on the CYCC Network’s report on Using Technology to Provide Support to Children and Youth in Challenging Contexts.

Emily began work with the CYCC Network in March 2012, and is currently a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University in the Interdisciplinary Program. During her time with the CYCC Network, she authored the technology report summarized in this PechaKucha, as well as a report of the topic of youth engagement.

PechaKucha Highlights: Youth: “When you create messages for us, with us - it will rock.”

Turn reports into something digestible.

Use social media to activate community.

Technology can/should be used as a bridge for service providers.

Youth are the experts: engage the experts.

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Youth Engagement | Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson

Violence | Ian Manion

This PechaKucha provided a brief introduction to the CYCC Network’s Youth Engagement: Empowering Youth Voices to Improve Services, Programs and Policy Report. It was presented by Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson, Senior Program Officer at the World University Service of Canada (WUSC – EUMC). Isabelle was a member of the Knowledge Mobilization Subcommittee that guided the CYCC Network’s Youth Engagement Report.

This PechaKucha provided a brief introduction to the CYCC Network’s report titled “Promising Practices to Help Children and Youth who have been Exposed to Violence”. It was presented by Ian Manion, one of the Co-leads on this Report.

PechaKucha Highlights:

PechaKucha Highlights: What are the effective strategies to support youth who have experienced trauma?

How do you amplify youth voice? In Nova Scotia, the government invited youth onto a committee to address cyber-bullying. These youth helped develop further youth-engagement frameworks.

We need alternative therapies such as: guided human interaction with horses, dance therapy, expression to help youth move through trauma.

We need youth-friendly spaces if we are going to engage youth in government.

A lot can be learned just by talking to people to fill in what is not evident in the data.

How can we build better relationships between youth and service providers?

It’s essential to seek local knowledge and engage front-line workers.

How do we evaluate alternative therapies?

Seek to understand and respect what inspires and motivates young people.

Introduce culturally relevant ways to support mental health.

Peer support and mentorship is important.

Prevention and treatment need to be included in one comprehensive system of care.

During the morning, the participants took part in a World Café. World Café is a process used to foster interaction and

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World Café: Nurturing The Field

World Café is a process used to foster interaction and dialogue with groups of all sizes. This tool is particularly effective in surfacing the collective wisdom of large groups of diverse people.

World Café operates on the following principles: - Create hospitable space - Explore questions that matter - Encourage each person’s contribution - Connect diverse people and ideas - Listen together for patterns, insights and deeper questions - Make collective knowledge visible

Purpose: Surface Where we Want to Focus our Attention

The following ettiquette is stated into the room: Focus on what matters

Harvest

Listen to understand Contribute your thinking Speak your mind and heart Link and connect ideas Listen together for themes insights, and deeper questions Play, Doodle, Draw - HAVE FUN!

Q: What are the issues that you bump up against again and again, in work that serves young people?

Q: What patterns are you seeing/what are the biggest issues that we are facing?

Where do we need to focus to nurture positive momentum?

Going deeper - Resilience working together - Engage the family Workshops to engage - Courage to look at ourselves - Not for profits together - Partnerships - Inner organizational health - Sharing/ Collaboration - Mobile mental health professionals - Links to formal systems Q: If we could really make an impact in supporting Children and Youth in Challenging Contexts, where would be the greatest contribution?

Harvest

Learn from experiences - Safe space - Collaboration/Connection/Partnership - Supporting racialized youth - Sharing knowledge - Prevention - Alternative and arts based treatment - Supporting supporters - Youth-centric - Youth as leaders - Youth voice - Youth-Adult partnerships - Value difference - Mobile and community based treatment.

This engaged participants in seeing the bigger picture and invited dialogue to highlight the most important areas to improve.

Seven themes emerged from the World Caf discussions, which were advanced to digging deeper in Open Space

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Open Space

The rest of the afternoon was held in Open Space format, so that participants could host and take part in deep conversation. Open Space is a simple facilitation tool with a profound worldview that creates just enough structure for people to self-organize into the conversations they want to have.

Assumptions underlying this method of engagement: We can trust the innate intelligence of groups: We don’t need a master conductor to decide what is important for people. People know the conversations they need to have - if we create space for self-organizing, people will connect their own experiences and ideas and this will create new possibilities that did not exist before.

Diversity is a great source of energy to be unleashed: No one person can see the bigger picture that a diverse group can see. Every person brings: life experience, their unique vantage point, capabilities, ideas, and resources.

You must take responsibility for what you love: Give everyone a platform to share, express and learn in a way that is meaningful for them. When we have the freedom of choice to engage in what truly engages us, we can contribute the best of ourselves and everyone benefits.

DID YOU KNOW: The CYCC Network hosts an online database of our members’ best and promising practices. Click here to see them all.

QUESTION: What promising practices & lessons learned would you like to share?

Participants hosted 11 self-organized conversations across two rounds of Open Space. These conversations delved into the question of “cross cutting issues that highlight promising practices, major challenges and lessons learned.” The conversation topics were: Music therapy // Stigma // North End Community Circle // Community suicide prevention and resilience // How to play games and change behaviours // Meeting youth there they’re at - what’s next // Is it working? The Evaluation Tool Basket // Phoenix Prevention Program // Youth Board // Detox and Addiction Services for Youth and Adolescence // Race Relations, Cross Cultural Understanding, Human Rights

Conversation Snippets

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1) HEALTHY TRANSITIONS Prevention and resilience through promotion and increased awareness of mental health to youth in schools Who do we serve?

Mental health awareness program offered to Grade 7 and 8 students in Ottawa through Ottawa Public Health and developed with CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario).

Big questions: • How to continue to reinforce pride into teen years?

• What do they want their kids to learn? Some approaches include the multigenerational OICC families; culture days, use of peer to peer mod els, allow teens to take on special roles in programs.

• How to ensure physical health through healthy eating is integrated into all aspects of programming.

What’s working?

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Aligned with school curriculum and supported by teachers (i.e. religious studies) Content includes: negative and positive emotions, dealing with stress, communication, and how to seek support when needed Very participatory in nature (i.e. role playing, reflecting on personal expe riences) helping youth to remember lessons learned Helps to normalize and generate an awareness of mental health issues Program and resources are accessable and free to use to all youth The program is currently being evaluated

Big questions: • How do we better connect prevention and treatment programs?

• How to share this information with the broader community?

• How can this program be expanded to other age groups?

• How do we promote youth engagement and peer support in prevention programs?

2) OTTAWA INUIT CHILDREN CENTRE Incorporating culture and cultural identity into mental health work http://www.ottawainuitchildrens.com Who do we serve?

Started with a PHAC headstart program for 18 months – 6 years old; has expanded to include a JK/SK program, daycare and youth programming. Focused on Inuk children either born in Ottawa, up North, or adopted.

What’s working?

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Programming grounds children in who they are, helping to develop pride and a connection to their cultural identity Overcome stigma and gaining strength through awareness of heritage and ancestors Revitalization of language and learning cultural traditions such as lighting the quilliq and gutting fish Interaction with elders helps children acquire valuable practical skills that can be passed on and carried forward with future generations Cultural beliefs integrated into counselling Healthy eating promoted through community kitchen to allow for integration into all programming.

3) CROSSROADS CHILDREN’S CENTRE Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS) - children and youth will do well if they can http://www.crossroadschildren.ca Who do we serve?

Crossroads Children’s Centre provides training in CPS to Best start groups, City of Ottawa staff, community health centres, parent’s centres, school boards, and health boards.

What’s working?

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Increased empathy and understanding for underlying issues of children, youth and adults Better understanding of root causes for challenging behaviours through Plan B and lagging skills framework 3000 people trained as coaches in Ottawa – community of practice has been established Home services and school based services (need further context)

Big questions: • How to adapt to different contexts?

• How to increase commitment to improving the adult-child relationship?

• How to get buy in from other organizations?

9 4) CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF EASTERN ONTARIO (CHEO) Youth Engagement Evaluations – Youth choosing evaluation indicators can make them fun, fast, and easy! http://www.cheo.on.ca

5) YOUTH SERVICES BUREAU & CHEO Bridges Program – Innovative ways to connect youth to the community and to the Youth Services Bureau

Who do we serve?

Young people and their families receiving mental health services. Free training offered to agencies on youth and family engagement. Centre of Excellence for child and youth mental health.

Who do we serve?

What’s working?

• • • • • • •

“Dare to dream” funding Participatory action research approaches Evaluation guides from agencies like CIDA, IDRC Course at Ottawa University on project evaluations Photovoice Sharing stories Involving youth in deciding what methods to use

• Youth aged 13-17 years old • Referrals from CHEO, ROH, Mobile Crisis, YSB, etc.

• Youth at different stages who need mental health services: - Collaborative programming initiatives tailored to individual needs, transitional requirements of inpatients to the community, and facilitating connections to the community.

- Mandate is to fill the gap between intensive / inpatient services, and outpatient services with a 16-17 week timeframe to transition youth to community services

What’s working •

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• •

Big Questions • How to empower youth in evaluations?

• How do youth experience being engaged?

• What variables enhance youth engagement?

• How can we be sure that all voices are being heard?

• Need for evaluation to be an easy and fun process.

• How do we communicate value of mixed methods approaches to funders?

Recovery process involves collaboration between multiple sectors: - Parental support, health, recreation, education, mental health, addictions, etc.

Team of professionals working collaboratively with youth to assist with treatment plan and road map to recovery: - Occupational therapists, public health nurses, clinicians, phychitrists working collaboratively with youth Team approach with youth Ability to meet youth where they are at due to flexibility, and case by case approach (35 grads to date)

Big questions • Stigma within the community based on individual perspectives of mental health services • Funding is growing but additional funding would allow for more service support?

- What other sources of funding are available?

• How to spread the availability of services to clinicans and families?

• How to connect with other community support groups to

facilitate knowledge of groups?

• How can we make the Youth Services Bureau website more accessible?

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10 6) PARENTS LIFELINE OF EASTERN ONTARIO (PLEO) Supporters need support too! Caring for the carers, power of peer support, unconditional support, navigating the system

7) SERENITY RENEWAL FOR FAMILIES Youth driven approaches to individual & group counselling for families impacted by addictions – Meeting youth where they are at!

Who do we serve?

Who do we serve?

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Parents and families of young people struggling with mental health issues - Variety of FREE services offered include: counselling, resources and support groups Youth via a hosted peer support group for youth aged 16-24 - For Youth By Youth Program Large catchment area (Champlain LIHN)

What’s working?

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Supporting the supporters of children in order to provide the best possible help to struggling children Access to applicable resources including: “What to do when” pamphlet series Teaching parents how to cope, sharing knowledge and experience Peer support model – all employees are parents or family members of someone with a mental illness

Big questions • •

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How to address stigma in society, from parents themselves, etc.?

What education and supports help with maintaining boundaries between providing support, and providing advice (employees are not medical professionals)?

Are there culture specific supports available to relevant services?

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Youth (5-18 years old) and family impacted by addictions Ottawa based with large catchment area Referrals from range of organizations Anyone can attend weekend workshops on topics such as “self esteem”

What’s working?

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Client centred approach (not focused on advice) to councselling offered to individual and groups Youth engagement in all activities and programs Photovoice and other art activities to emphasize the power of engagement through art and photography Art therapy – fostering back and forth dialogue and exchange Connecting to youth through an invitation to participate in activities

Big questions •

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How to get youth to brainstorm what therapeutic options work for them?

Photovoice project – how do youth identify with photos? What emotions are being revealed and “captioned”?

How do you invite youth participation in activities?

How do you meet youth where they’re at?

11 8) FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRES Strength-based practices & supportive environments – Encouraging a healthy body, mind & spirit through holistic approaches and practices with children, youth and families

9) THE FAIR PARENTING PROJECT Servicing couples with children to better support positive family environments – A practical solution to a common problem http://fairparenting.com

Who do we serve?

Who do we serve?

• • • • •

Families, youth, communities Family Resource Centres Ottawa Inuit Chilren Centre Renfrew County Public Health Ottawa Child and Youth Initiative – conducing research on strength-based practices with after school programs

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Couples going through separation or divorce who have children and are dealing with shared custody.

Recognition of time children spend moving between parents that creates a challenge to attend community programs due to conflicting schedules.

What’s working?

What’s working?

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Involving youth throughout the process to increase youth engagement - Youth are experts on youth issues - “I Love To…” programs Exploring use of technology to connect with rural youth Critical hours and after-school programming - Growing Up Great program Connecting mental health with physical activites - Brains & Brawns program Overcoming barriers to accessibility of youth programming by providing support with transportation, food, etc. (Ottawa Inuit Children Centre) Ontario Public Schools requirement of community school hours connect ed to youth programming (Ottawa Inuit Children Centre)

Big questions • How do we know if we are actually offering strength-based pro gramming?

• Is strength-based programming accessible and available to every one?

• How is culture included in strength-based programming?

• Plans that make it easier and possible for children with two homes to be involved in community programs to help minimize conflict • Providing young people with more access to support services they need • Community support model • School bus pick-up schedule

Big questions •

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How to engage Children’s Aid Society with this work and have them buy- in from these community partners?

How to coordinate work and parenting schedules for families with lower incomes or dealing with shift work?

How to accommodate the need plans to be reflexive?

12 10) MOTIVATE CANADA Youth driven development – Youth engaging youth Who do we serve?

• Youth aged 12 – 24 • Community

What’s working?

Life mapping allowing youth to learn about themselves Community mapping providing awareness of what services are available • Learning from others • Youth leaders to facilitate role modelling Programs: • Dare 2 Dream • 4 Youth, By Youth • Step Up & Step Back Youth Incentives: • Money, food to support premise that every youth group is unique

Big questions • • • •

Where are the gaps in the community?

How do we support mental health in our programming?

How do we engage youth?

Do Youth Action Committees work?

11) RESILIENCE RESEARCH CENTRE: An evaluation tool basket – Making evaluations easy!

Mandate: Helping to cultivate the use of best practices to measure the effectiveness of programs by reviewing localized community interfaces that shape individual practices Who do we serve?

• Community organizations • Front line organizations • Diverse contexts driven by different countries

What’s working?

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Conventional approaches to evaluation Sharing stories is mobilized through a web based snapshot across Ontario. Helps us understand what is happening with youth engagement across the province.

Dual phased planning component to create a road map of how to achieve success: - Identifying terms of reference - Support in developing a logic model • Tools for evaluation (mostly quantitative) - Contextual review of risks and resources available (ecological) - Perspective of multiple actors (including youth) - Resilience measures - Satisfaction questionnaires - Outcome and alignment measures - Community & stakeholder evaluations

Big questions • • •

• • •

How do you engage different age groups (kinders)?

Would organizations want to invite this evaluation?

How to best evaluate effectiveness of quantitative, and (soon to be added) qualitative components?

Results based evaluation tool (Mark Freedman)?

What makes programs successful?

Based on outcomes of evaluations, really want to understand if that is where organziations want to be?

Digging Deeper

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1. RESEARCH & EVALUATION Many conversations discussed at W2A Ottawa focused on the need to define research and evaluation tools that will support youth engagement and holistic evaluations across organizations.

2. IMPROVING SERVICE TO YOUTH Participants agreed that to improve service to youth, the industry needed a 1) holistic response and treatment for youth, and an 2) audit for people on Mental Health wait-lists.

Participants asked:

Questions emerged:

• What resources are available?

• What is a longitudinal study and what are benefits?

• How can we identify and certify best practice for child and youth services?

Actions and next steps: The industry needs a leader/champion organization that will promote coordination and connection of youth programs and services across the country; advocate more research; influence the government; Highlight resources available.

Existing resources: • Academic research • Tool basket for evaluating engagement (Resilience Research Centre) • Canadian Mental Health Association Resources needed: • Access to academic research • Access to tools, resources • More standardized measurements • Open access to resources • Easier sharing of information, resources and research • National Research Plan; interdisciplinary • National communication within organizations

• • • •

What makes youth participate in services?

How are they attracted and motivated to use them?

Do (potential) cultural barriers play a role in youth participation?

How can services be provided in a culturally relevant way?

Actions and next steps Ensure resources are available to all demographics despite the level of risk (most are for high risk). This will contribute to removeing service stigmatization.

Existing resources: • YSB • Youth NET • Community Health Centres • Community Centres • Boys & Girls Club • Counselling • Health • Housing • Homeless outreach • Reintegration programs (justice) • Project case hours Resources needed: • Resources needed based on geographic location • Safe spaces to hang out • More youth employment opportunities to promote youth provide / promote youth programs • Youth-run programs and funding • Promotion of resources • Art based programs (like sketching) • Supported housing • More environmental sustainability programs (Farmworks)

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10 3. SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTERS Supporting supporters can often fall to the back-burner. However, participants believed it is a crucial to recognize that parents and families also need to be educated, supported and appreciated. These are simple gestures that are often forgotten about, especially within a workplace.

4. EDUCATION & ADDRESSING STIGMA Increasing awareness and education in communities to address and decrease stigma of mental health was also discussed at W2A Ottawa. Participants were interested in understanding how to create awareness mental health at earlier ages and to a more general population.

Participants asked:

Questions posed:

• How frequently does vicarious resilience occur?

• What is available/ what is working (locally)?

Actions and next steps: Explore existing programs that set-up youth, families and supporters to succeed. Begin by pooling resources through a CYCC Network Hub Space.

Organize peer support web-space geared to service providers with forums, online trauma toolkit and videos of real people sharing challenges and strategies. Continue to empower motivated people to do what they’re doing better.

Existing resources • Gym • Walking programs / clubs • Tea + bath • Take a breath • Crossword puzzles • Wabano: make staff support a common practice • Rothchild: - Help for helper - Mirroring successful support for supporters • Parents lifelines of Eastern Ontario: - Development training for parents and families on Self Care • Appreciative inquiry of case success • Kumik Lodge: healing space • Wellness clinic (Mavreen Fedorous) Resources needed • Working with supporters to prevent burnout • Awareness of dangers of vicarious trauma - Acknowledgement of tertiary trauma • Coping and self care strategies • Peer support for support workers association • Focus on the “structural enablers” • Strength based resources

• How can we fund a visibility program focused on increasing accessibility?

• What are the strategies and core components (like building

relationships)?

Actions and next steps: Connect with others (personal and partnerships) to make a bigger impact and skip smaller obstacles/steps. Increase awareness of ALL resources. Identify gaps and try and fill them. Normalize/de-stigmatize mental health through positive expression and advocacy.

Existing resources • TAMI (Talking About Mental Illness) – as well as addiction in high schools • YSB, community groups • Mental Health First Aid • ASSIST • Crisis lines (i.e. Kids Help Phone) • Youth Support resources • YouthNET • Ottawa Public Health • CHEO – Mental Health for Parents • Royal – free seminars Resources needed • Visibility and education (through creative, contemporary means and methods) - Introduced early in school system • Affordable emotional and mental support for families (all generations) - Peer support (all age groups) - Group – guided by professionals • Parent education (e.g. technology) • Training (clinicians, counsellors)

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15 5. YOUTH ENGAGEMENT There was a consensus among W2A Ottawa participants that building peer support skills (how to talk to friends about suicide, support them through grief) was an important topic that needed to be discussed. Other topics emerged such as creating youth positions within agencies and including youth in the process (By Youth, For Youth).

Actions and next steps: Begin to take a critical look at at our own agencies, and the level of youth engagement. Is the decision-making happening at the board of directors level and are youth involved? Once youth are engaged, how do we keep them engaged. Try to discover creative ways of approaches of involving youth/youth services. Create opportunities for multi-disciplinary youth workers / professionals to talk about youth engagement. Develop data-base of ways to engage youth in a therapeutic way (tool kit).

Participants asked: • Are we engaging youth to their fullest potential, from an organizational perspective? What defines/qualifies engaging youth??

• How do you meaningfully evaluate youth engagement? (develop quick, fun stats that are significant) • How can we maximize the collaboration of inter-generational partnerships? What is the impact on adults to have youth involved in engagement of services and vice versa?

Editor’s note: The CYCC Network has produced a report and policy document on the topic of youth engagement. Find them online Existing resources • New Mentality - Network of youth led programs • Centre of excellence - Youth training program - For youth engagement - Training only available to MCYS affiliated agencies where 1/3 of youth are involved • Drop in centres • DILA – civic engagement • Schools: - Within themselves groups affiliated at different topics, support - WOCRC bullying prevention -Youth social structure

• You can – youth mentality

Resources needed • Certain organizations have a “checklist” for including youth - What is the youth’s impact in an agency?

• Using technology - Policies and procedures that support it’s use • Evaluation support • Research support • Funding

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12 6. PREVENTION & WELLNESS Many conversations discussed at the W2A Ottawa event led to the final question of prevention/wellness, and what our current health system/campaigns/resources looks like. They concluded that a better understanding about social determinants and its impact on mental health is needed.

A number of questions arose: • •

•

At what age should mental health prevention/education start?

What is the best setting for counselling? What are the most effective prevention techniques? (Group or one-on-one) How to best reach youth where they are at? Both in terms of their physical location and emotional level?

Actions and next steps: Find a sustainable funding approach that is realistic with staff capacity, while also exploring opportunities to collaborate/partner with liked-minded organizations. Contribute to standardized approach of prevention practices. Engage everyone you met at Wisdom2Action with future inquiries!

Existing resources • Public health • CHEO • Mental health workers in organizations • Early years programs (e.g. headstart) • YouthNET • General awareness Resources needed • More trained mental health workers in:

- Community centres

- Schools

- Hospitals and Emergency Rooms

- Gym/Sport programs • Need more resources in rural areas • More funding and grants that can support rural communities • Rural transportation funding to services • System for communicating within city

- Who is doing what and with which youth groups?

- Upstream social determinants of mental health

- Clear point of contact for meetings and connections

- More mental health advocates

- Family support • Healthy parents • Overcoming intergenerational trauma • Website for age specific types of services:

- Parent’s manual “mental health phone book”

- How to overcome waitlists

- Local and relevant

7. COORDINATION & COMMUNICATION Through attending the W2A Ottawa event, all participants acknowledged the value of connection, collaboration, communication and coordination. Some interesting questions that transpired when discussing the topic were: • • • •

Are existing models effective?

What are the barriers preventing coordination and communication?

What agencies feel connected?

Why are there so many services being duplicated?

Actions and next steps Connect smaller organizations to larger organizations. Coordinate funding and service providers. Collaborate between different services per individual person.

Existing resources • Blue book • E-Mental Health (online) • Local networks • National networks • Bridges program • Coordinated access and referral Resources needed • Funding dollars • Organization based outreach • Research • Database of services • Networking opportunities for private practice, no • Art/Cultural sport and recreational activities

Special thanks to all participants for your contribution: Allison Zakal Benjamin Leikin Carolyn Comerford Chantal Abou-Debs Christina Callingham Christine Head Christine Kudluk Claudine Pedneault Doug Maynard Emily Zinck Eric Letts Francine Gravelle Heather Holland Hodan Aden Ian Manion Isabelle LeVert-Chiasson Janice MacAulay Jen Dykxhoorn Jess Pawluk Jimmy Ung Jody Beeching Julie Vachon Katie Axton Linda Liebenberg Lisa Lachance Lynda Brown Manon Leblond-Leduc Mara Rothschild Melanie Black Michael Horne Michael Montgomery Mike Ungar Natalie Lloyd

Natalie Markoff Nichelle Hubley Peter Grindl Rebecca Singbeil Rim Khazall Rob Chief Shae Harris Sarah Smythe Steven Tremblay Sylvia Graham Susan Brown-Charbonneau Victoria Bryce

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The Wisdom2Action Event Series is hosted by The CYCC Network:

Find more information online: www.cyccnetwork.org @CYCCNetwork /CYCCNetwork

Funding for the CYCC Network is provided by: