Introducing the Community Engagement Framework
Author: Launa Clark, Community Mental Health Facilitator, Imagine Institute of Learning
The Community Mental Health Engagement Framework was developed to support people looking to engage their communities in impactful ways around the conversation of mental health. It provides a framework as well as some engagement tools people can use to start the conversation and explore possibilities – whether that is in the workplace or beyond.
The role of mental health has become a top conversation on front porches, zoom rooms, and Olympic arenas – basically through all communities. It is clearly becoming evident that everyone has their own mental health story. It is in that spirit that we have created a tool to support community members and organizations to continue the conversation and engage others to build a safe and common language to talk about our mental health stories.
This tool starts with you, the person reading this, Your Story Matters! The tools and activities in this resource focus on how you can build relationships, awareness, opportunities, and innovation about mental well-being in your community. This tool includes 15 ready-to-go activities focused on building a communities common language and understanding of what is needed to care for each other within a community.
Example Activity:
What if… everyone completed their own 7-sentence story about mental health? What a story we could tell. How would you finish each of the following prompts using your story?
In my life, I am a … (what roles do you play? Parent, caregiver, spouse …)
I work / live with … (identify your connection to mental health – personal or professional)
I frequently experience … (how does this work impact you? Physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally …)
Because of this … (what impact does this have on your behaviour?)
Because of that … (how has this impacted your life / attitudes?)
It would make a difference in my life if I had …
My biggest wish is … (what would make the system / services / providers, better?)
What if we had everyone’s 7-sentence story to build our own community story? It will surely show the impact that Our Story Matters! Give it a try, you don’t need anyone’s permission to take care of your community.