Stop the Stigma Week 2010
The 10 schools that took part this year are:
Bishop Allen
Cardinal Newman
Chaminade College
Don Bosco
Francis Libermann
James Cardinal McGuigan
Loretto Abbey
Mary Ward
Michael Power St. Joseph
Senator O'Connor
Ten Toronto-area secondary schools took part in Stop the Stigma Week this year, up from the two original participating schools last year. Stop the Stigma Week was developed as part of MDAO's partnership with the Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB), with the ultimate goal of encouraging early intervention when youth are experiencing a mood disorder and first episode psychosis.
In each of the 10 schools, students formed organizing committees and developed a plan to educate their fellow students about mental health, with activities taking place throughout the week. Most of the 10 schools kicked the week off with an assembly with guest speakers from MDAO sharing their experiences living with a mood disorder, and informing students about signs to look for, how to help when someone you know has a mental illness, and what types of help are available.
Student organizing committee members Lorenzo and David from Chaminade College said of their experience with Stop the Stigma Week, "Attending an all-boys school presented a challenge within itself for our group. It was important to reach out to all of the guys in order to break down the barriers associated with mental illness. We felt our student body responded very well, and it was truly a small step to success in stopping the stigma."
Lisa McGuckin, Guidance, Resource Teacher K-12 at the TCDSB says, "if we are trying to create safe and inclusive environments within our schools, we cannot do that without addressing mental health and stigma."
The partnership between MDAO and the TCDSB is two years old, and already close to 15,000 youth have been reached with the message about the importance of early intervention in assisting youth to recover. With Stop the Stigma Week projected to double in size to 20 schools next year, the impact of the project will be enormous.
"I am pleased that more of our schools have been inspired to partner with MDAO on this. I am proud of our student organizers and the leadership they are demonstrating to ensure that all are treated equally and with compassion," says Ann Perron, Director of Education at the TCDSB. "Creating an opportunity for fellow students to better understand the impact of mental illnesses is truly admirable," she adds.
MDAO is very excited and proud to be a part of this ground-breaking initiative.
"We are so excited that the TCDSB students are so enthusiastic about raising awareness and encouraging early intervention. By eliminating stigma around mental health in youth, not only can we save lives, but we can improve the lives of everyone who is touched by mental illness," says Karen Liberman, Executive Director of MDAO.
Some of the activities that took place in various schools were:
Art Therapy: Rock Painting
Button, Cupcake and Ribbon Sales
Civvies Day / Dress Down Day
Dance/Exercise
Drumming
Laugh Therapy with a Magician
Massage
Meditation
Mental Wellness Fair
Mother-Daughter Tea
Music Therapy and Workshop
Parent Information Evening
Poetic Art Workshop
Peace Chain
Scavenger Hunt
Writer's Café
Yoga
The activities were very well received, and students and teachers got involved in learning, including adding mental health education into the class curriculum. Some schools also had activities and information available during parent night, and the feedback from parents was very positive.
"We know that our goal of early intervention is more of a possibility when we reach youth in the schools, before they have become isolated and institutionalized. Working with the school teams such as guidance counselors, child and youth workers, social workers, psychologists, and administration made this possible," says Catherine Bancroft, Coordinator of Family and Youth Programs at MDAO.
MDAO recently received this note from one of the high school students who attended an assembly where one of the MDAO speakers spoke:
"My name is Olivia. I am 17 years of age. The one thing with speeches is that I can never seem to start off very good… well, let's begin with this.
MDAO has well helped me in a very hard time in my life… and I am grateful to them. You see, a few months back, my class was invited to an assembly that talked about mood disorders and a few people told their life stories. Those stories really hit close to home. There was talk about suicides and death, but the one thing that hit me the most was that no matter how hard it got for the person, they never gave up.
My problem started when my mother died, and everything after that just seemed to get worse. Especially this year, which is my last year of high school. This was the year that if this organization hadn't given those speeches and stories of survival, I don't think I would be here today. But after the assembly, I came out and told Catherine and my guidance counselor about what I was feeling. But coming out and talking about what's going on in your mind is only half the battle. The real fight begins when you finally tell those you love about your feelings, thoughts and comprehension on the current situation. That's when the healing starts. Having support is one of the most important basic rules in the society we call humanity. But without that support, all we have is ourselves, and that's not all it's cracked up to be. It can be very scary being alone in total darkness, but when a hand is put in front of you, the best thing to do ...IS TO TAKE THE CHANCE!
And the MDAO has helped me realize that life doesn't have to be in complete darkness - life is worth living if you give it a chance. It saved my life, why can't it save yours?"
Some comments from school audiences about the presentations:
"Very inspirational story."
"Great presentation."
"Interesting and engaging with a great message of hope to all those suffering from mood disorders."
"Through their personal experiences, I have become more aware of mood disorders in my peers."
"Come back next year."
"Made me feel not alone."
MDAO would like to thank our Program Planning Core Group for all of their hard work and dedication in planning Stop the Stigma Week:
Leslie Bennett
Harmony Brown
Raubia Elahi
Ashley Gittens
Bev Szandtner
Mandy Thomson
CBC Radio
CBC Radio One's Metro Morning did a piece about Stop the Stigma Week, which aired on May 25th. You can listen to it here— just look for the Mental Health Month story:
http://www.cbc.ca/metromorning/parenting/
MDAO would also like to thank the speakers who so generously shared their time and their stories with the schools in May 2010:
Harmony Brown believes that stopping the stigma will save lives. After losing her father and her brother to mental illness, she was moved to share this message and to speak out against stigma. Harmony knows that recovery from mental illness is possible because she has dealt with major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. She urges people to rise above the stigma and reach out if they are struggling. She shares her hope that without stigma more people will seek help and recover.
Maisha Grant is a York University Student pursuing a career in the mental health field. She is currently working and volunteering at the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. She has made it her mission to share her experiences living with bipolar disorder, in order to spread awareness about mental illness.
Sean Miller is a survivor of a long battle with depression and feels extremely thankful that he has been given a new lease on life. He feels honoured that he can share his story of hope . Sean is an MDAO Board Member and wants to be involved in any way he can to make the lives of those with mental illness less painful.
Watch video of our speakers! Click the images below
