Supporting and Promoting Mental Health in OLMCs (Official Language Minority Communities) in Quebec
Expanding mental health promotion programming to support the English-speaking population in Quebec
WHO
Members of the English-speaking population in Quebec, especially:
- Seniors and caregivers
- Children, youth, and families
- BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)/ethnocultural groups
- Remote or rural communities
- Low-income families and individuals
Service providers and organizations providing mental health services and support to the English-speaking population in Quebec
WHAT
Objectives
- Promote mental health in vulnerable official language minority communities (OLMC) most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Strengthen and grow CHSSN’s network of service providers, as well as enhance the capacity of service providers to adapt resources and programs.
- Build evidence about effective interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental illness within OLMCs.
HOW
CHSSN is supporting 46 community-based projects across the province through:
- Offering a community of practice, additional training activities, knowledge hub sessions, workshops, and conferences to facilitate knowledge exchange and support
- Adapting resources, tools, and information campaigns to support priority populations with evidence-based programs and resources
- Curating evidence about effective interventions through participatory action research and documenting promising practices
- Creating and disseminating a mental health promotion resource toolkit
WHERE
Settings
- Community
Implementation sites
- 46 English-speaking organizations across Quebec
WHY
- English-speaking communities reported higher rates of mental health problems throughout the pandemic.
- There is an increased demand for mental health services and resources among English-speaking communities during the pandemic, especially among priority populations.
- The cost and availability of mental health supports in English make them very difficult to access for English-speaking communities in Quebec.
In the words of the project team members
“Language is probably one of the most important aspects of receiving services for mental health. Being able to communicate your very personal, and sometimes painful emotional experiences can be very challenging in a second language.”
Key protective factors
- Access to mental health services and support
- Community networks and partnerships
- Supportive relationships in the community
- Equity
- Valuing diversity
Key approaches
- Trauma-informed
- Culturally safe
- Partnerships and communities of practice
- Evidence-informed
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