5TH ANNIVERSARY NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH AWARDS
Category: Community Capacity Honourable Mention: WOMEN & WELLNESS®
CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH
ASSOCIATION – MONCTON REGION Moncton, N.B.
moncton.cmha.ca
WOMEN & WELLNESS® – INSPIRATION THROUGH TOGETHERNESS
BACKGROUND
Most people are comfortable talking about physical health issues, but when it comes to mental health, conversations that need to happen within families, among friends or in communities often don’t. Brothers, sisters, cousins, neighbours — about one in five Canadians — experience a mental health problem or illness every year. It’s an issue that needs to be talked about, but a lack of understanding and the stigma of mental illness often combine to prevent it from happening.
This conversation is especially important among women. Not only do women experience depression twice as often as men, they also have a disproportionate role in caring for family and friends who are dealing with mental health challenges, often at the expense of their own well-being. Women are typically the decision-makers who promote better health in general, and as such hold the key to improving mental health.
The passion, determination and action of even one woman can become a powerful catalyst for raising awareness and starting the essential dialogue about mental illness.
OVERVIEW
The seeds for Women & Wellness® were sown in the winter of 2001 in Moncton, N.B. Helen
MacDonnell, a full-time mother who wanted a break from the winter blahs by increasing her social interactions, invited 20 women into her home for an evening of conversation and fun. A huge success, the women gathered again in 2002. In 2004, following the tragic death of MacDonnell’s brother by suicide [see Helen’s Story], 54 women came together with a new purpose: to tell, listen to and discuss stories about mental illness.
As of 2012, MacDonnell is the volunteer National Chair, and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Moncton Region Inc. is the home of Women & Wellness®. This nation-wide initiative offers free annual events to women in locations across Canada, which in 2012 included Moncton, N.B.;
Halifax and Truro, N.S.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Peterborough and Niagara Region, Ont.; and, Vancouver, North Vancouver, Williams Lake, Prince George, Vernon and the Simon Fraser region, B.C.
CMHA–Moncton Region Inc. holds the initiative’s trademark and licenses it to other host locations, seeks national sponsorship on behalf of all hosts and provides standards and guidelines for all locations so they can seek local sponsorships and meet brand standards.
The “women only” emphasis is intentional, a strategic decision based on the belief that, given their role within families, women are the most likely to take information back to the whole family. The overarching focus is to make a meaningful difference in mental well-being; to demonstrate that mental illness is no less important than any other disease; to educate people; and to remind women that it is important to maintain their own mental health. Women & Wellness® also raises funds to support mental health activities in the host communities (with a small license fee paid to CMHA–
Moncton to help offset costs).
Participation in the annual by-invitation-only events has grown rapidly and events are highly
anticipated. In 2012, more than 2,500 women of all ages came together and, since its founding, more than 8,150 women have taken part in Women & Wellness® events across the country, including more than 3,100 in Moncton alone.
At a typical event, guests — of all ages and economic backgrounds, who pay no entrance fee and are not required to make a donation — are welcomed to a reception that features chef-prepared finger foods, drinks, door prizes, goodie bags and possibly games or a silent auction. They hear from a
“touch your heart, open your mind” speaker who has lived experience and shares a personal journey from mental illness back to health. A second speaker’s role in the second half of the event is to “lift us up, make us laugh and remind us to take care of ourselves,” MacDonnell says. “This motivational speaker reminds us as women not to put ourselves last on our to-do lists, to be mindful our own well- being, and that we’re not being selfish when we take care of ourselves.”
Women & Wellness® is guided by volunteers and events are handled by a contracted event management company. Medavie Blue Cross has been a sponsor since its early years, and other community sponsors have joined as the initiative has grown.
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
MacDonnell’s desire to start what she called a “loud conversation” about mental health faced two hurdles not unfamiliar to those who work in the mental health field: little money available for projects dealing with mental illness and the reality that it is difficult for many people to talk about mental health issues. She overcame both.
With the CMHA–Moncton’s encouragement, she approached community businesses to garner financial support. Gym passes, flowers, spa packages and boxes of chocolates became door prizes.
A local chef insisted on preparing food for the events. Since 2006, Scotiabank has supported the initiative, and now many Scotibank employees volunteer and the bank matches donations, to a maximum of $5,000 per location.
MacDonnell had conversations about mental health with virtually anyone. From fellow parents to strangers in the grocery store, she was determined to talk about the issue. More times than not, the person she was talking to would describe a brother, sister or cousin who had also dealt with some form of mental disorder.
Recently, Women & Wellness® has begun to experience a new challenge: the impact of rapid growth brought about by its own success. Ensuring the initiative remains true to its roots and is consistent in all communities requires strong communication, a clear vision and a solid foundation of support.
INNOVATION
From its inception, Women & Wellness® has focused on engaging all women in order to “cross-
pollinate” and have as many different people as possible at the events. Attendance is by invitation and includes many women who might not be able to purchase a ticket and for whom the night would be
inaccessible. Word-of-mouth communication reinforces personal connections.
“We don’t go out and look for a big politician. It is not about who you are in society, whether you are a CEO, or you clean dishes in a cafeteria,” says CMHA–Moncton Regional Board President Gwen Breneol. “To take stigma away, you have to take that other part away, too.”
Individuals who can afford to donate are encouraged to do so, but it is not mandatory. All donations support mental health initiatives in communities where the event is held.
Laughter has also been integral to the project since its inception: Helen MacDonnell wanted the women who left her home to do so with both a powerful and unforgettable story and smiles on their faces. “Laughter is very healthy and healing,” she explains. “It’s very intense when you hear these personal stories. People are reflecting on the journeys that they or their loved ones have been on. So we lighten it up and we send our guests home on a different path, with a reminder we need to take care of ourselves.”
MAKING AN IMPACT
An evening of tears, laughs and empathy has started a tradition that has grown beyond expectations.
Women — and entire communities — are having conversations and generating support for mental health initiatives and for the participants’ own mental well-being. “The energy of all these women being together for a reason that they feel is important is special,” Breneol says. “Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on every once in awhile.”
The first gathering of women in Moncton in 2004 raised $1,250 to help support CMHA–Moncton projects. A year later, 100 women raised $2,500. Most recently, in 2012, almost $204,500 was raised across the country. This, combined with support from a growing number of corporate sponsors, has brought the total raised to almost $800,000 over nine years.
The success of Women & Wellness® has also inspired other members of the community to take action. Four men in Moncton, for example, launched the recreational Three-Mountain Relay. In 2012, 132 participants raised $25,000 to support CMHA–Moncton. “They have such a great time,” Breneol says. “It’s like a big party for them. There is great synergy, where they tie in exercise with mental health.”
In addition to generating financial resources, engaging sponsors and business supporters has also helped employers and employees recognize the impact of mental illness in the workplace. Shoppers Drug Mart became a national sponsor in 2010, extending the Women & Wellness® message to a national audience. Women are learning about mental health issues and the company’s pharmacists are also increasing their own awareness of mental health issues and illnesses.
LEARNINGS AND INSIGHTS
“Start with baby steps,” is Helen MacDonnell’s advice for anyone wishing to establish a community mental health initiative. Although growth is wonderful, groups looking to start a similar undertaking should be proud of their often-humble beginnings. “Set your goal and don’t over-reach, so you are not disappointed. If you are trying to do something because you want to make money, then your reason is wrong. But if you raise awareness, the money will come. If you educate people, the money will follow.”
Although sponsorship can be difficult to attract, Gwen Breneol says the best way to convince companies and businesses that your project is worth investing in is to have them attend an event.
“There is a power like electricity in the air and you feel it when you are there,” she says.
Sponsors including Scotiabank, Medavie Blue Cross, McInnes Cooper and Bell are engaged in a win- win partnership, demonstrating that mental health matters and is as significant as any other social issue. Supporting Women & Wellness® by providing volunteers, sponsorship support and door prizes raises their profile.
THE FUTURE
Women & Wellness® sees continued expansion, while maintaining the personal, grassroots
connections that have made the initiative a success. The group expects to have 16 sites in 2013 and as many as 40 by 2016, which will see the number of participants grow to more than 5,000 in 2016.
To be as inclusive and raise as much awareness as possible, the organization will create a national cabinet to promote representation from various stakeholders. Additionally, discussions are underway with two mental health organizations about national ownership of the program.
While Women & Wellness® has yet to launch a website, create a Facebook page or open a Twitter account, social media has great future potential and the group anticipates exploring its many opportunities. A microsite is being developed, which will enable the group to reach a much wider audience, invite people to host home-based events, and raise awareness and donations.
What will remain constant is also the greatest point of pride for Women & Wellness®: recognition that simple gatherings around the kitchen table have a vital role to play in taking mental illness out of the shadows and into the light of everyday conversation. As Gwen Breneol says: “People are speaking – not whispering – about mental illness and getting help.”
HELEN’S STORY
On Jan. 28, 2003, Helen MacDonnell received a call from her distraught mother. Helen’s 47-year-old brother, Duncan, had committed suicide. It was a massive shock to the family. A good-looking and intelligent man, Duncan never gave any hints that he was on the verge of ending his own life.
Searching for answers, Helen came across Duncan’s detailed journals. What she read disclosed a diagnosis of bi-polar disorder, something Duncan had not shared with his family. “I also learned he had attempted suicide more than once,” she says. “My wake-up moment came when I read his journals and came across two questions. Her brother had overdosed on a substance and when he came to, wrote: ‘Have I done any internal damage?’ and ‘Should I go to the hospital?’ When I read those questions, I realized he did not want to die.”
His words spoke of a disorder that had never been treated successfully . His journals told how he had attempted to get care, tried medication and mediation, yoga for relaxation and joined support groups
— yet ultimately nothing worked.
Helen became passionate about reading and studying every aspect of mental illness. She devoured book after book, struck by how little she knew of mental illness. “I thought ‘oh my God, I am trained in law and journalism, how do I not know about any of this?’”
Learning that that one in five people experience a mental health problem or illness every year was a point of revelation. “Why are we not standing on a rooftop yelling about this?” she wondered — and made it her mission to do something about it.
By Séamus Smyth and Cathy Nickel Mental Health Commission of Canada
