Hollyburn Family Services Society Empowering Growth, Inspiring Change North Shore Community Action Initiative 12/12/2012 Honoring our Past, Nurturing our Future Leya Eguchi, MSW, RSW, Hollyburn Family Services Society
SECTION 3: PROJECT PLAN HONORING OUR PAST, NURTURING OUR FUTURE The overall vision of this project is to measurably increase client and community capacity to better support people with mental health, addictions and/or criminal justice system involvement. This project combines mentorship training, group development and a food cooperative which focuses on intergenerational collaboration between seniors (55+) and youth (19-24), with the following goals: One to one outreach, support and advocacy to engage the target population. Improve linkages between service provider agencies on and off reserve and increase capacity to reach and support this at-risk population. Development of a core group of mentors within the target population group that can support and train others. Intergenerational knowledge transmission through workshops and activities. The development of a food cooperative to address the basic needs of this population and promote self-sustainability. The project design is based on community and target population input and best practices identified by the latest body of research, focusing on the assets and strengths of the target group. On-reserve training will be designed based on Aboriginal ways of learning and knowledge transmission, rather than simply incorporating tokenistic cultural content. This is the first time that community agencies working with mental health and addictions across the North Shore, Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation are coming together to promote knowledge exchange and collaboration.
TARGET POPULATION The target population is seniors (55+) and youth (19-24) dealing with mental health, addictions and/or criminal justice system involvement. The geographical boundary includes the City of North Vancouver, the District of North and West Vancouver and the Squamish Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation reserves. Based on the focus groups, the most common barriers identified were low income, addictions, undiagnosed/un-medicated mental illness, lack of information about services available, lack of readily accessible concurrent disorders outreach and treatment services, transportation, lack of job opportunities, ageism, stigma, shame, lack of education/training, low self-esteem, barriers to accessing healthcare services and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. In particular, those with a First Nations background and visible minorities experience a high degree of barriers to community inclusion. Many participants also noted that past experiences of being disrespected and treated poorly by government, healthcare and social services staff, police and local businesses was a barrier to community engagement. The focus group also identified a wide array of assets that can be harnessed to promote social inclusion. Many from the 55+ group have work, management and leadership experience, as well as the desire to contribute and better the lives of others in the community. Some have knowledge of traditional languages and cultures, while others are skilled in crafts, trades and arts. Many of the participants in the 55+ group have a long history of living with concurrent disorders and have incredible stories to share, and their stories demonstrate their strength, resiliency and creativity despite difficult life circumstances. They are able to see life through the eyes of others who are struggling and have the capacity to become positive role models, instilling hope that change is possible. The focus group participants aged 19-24 are computer and technology savvy and are interested in sharing their creative and artistic talents with others. They in turn have the potential of becoming mentors to the next generation, with energy and creativity that can drive innovation and change. Many of the focus group participants were enthusiastic and were willing to give their time to participate in the steering committee and be involved in the design and implementation of the project. There will be six participants from the target group and six service providers who will form the Steering Committee. Over the course of the year, the target group will increasingly take on leadership roles within the project, with the goal of increasing self-sustainability and self-determination within the target population.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES One to one outreach that provides support, advocacy and engages hard to reach clients. There will be four part-time outreach workers with experience working with the target population, one on the Squamish Nation reserve, one on the Tsleil-Waututh Nation reserve and two serving North/West Vancouver. The goal is to build relationships, get a better understanding of the needs of the target population and encourage participation in group activities. Provide culturally appropriate on- and off-reserve mentorship training programs (train the trainers). The curriculum will be developed and delivered in consultation with Capilano University and our core partners. This program will be 8 weeks long, 4 hours a week including meal time. Each session will have 12-14 participants, consisting of 8-10 seniors and 4-6 youth. Participants will receive an honorarium for participation. o The training session will revolve around themes identified by the convening phase focus groups. The North Shore group will work around food, including nutrition, meal planning and developing the food cooperative. The on-reserve group identified transmission of cultural knowledge as important, so they will focus on sharing cultural knowledge through hands-on activities. o The mentorship training includes development of essential skills, including communications skills, how to navigate the system, effective advocacy strategies, working with others, when to call for help and basic group facilitation skills. Additional workshops and training (eg. literacy, first aid, food safe, technology) will be offered as needed. These additional workshops will be open to anyone in the target population. Participants interested in providing peer support may also be referred to the seniors peer support counseling training through North Shore Neighborhood House. The development of mentor-lead groups across the community that involve intergenerational knowledge sharing, mutual support or hands-on activities. Activities may include but not limited to crafts, art, music, cooking, sports & outings, walking/hiking and cultural activities. The mentors will receive honorariums based on the hours contributed for their work in leading these groups. The development of a food-cooperative in which participants bulk buy, sort and each get a box of food on a weekly basis. While the initial activities will start with the participants of the mentor training group, over time more paying members will be sought from the wider community to promote sustainability and food security for the
target group and other vulnerable members of the community. Members of the target group who contribute their time towards operating the food cooperative will receive free food and/or an honorarium based on amount worked. Mentors who have gone through the training program will continue to be active in the food cooperative or the community groups they have organized. Through these activities, the mentors will train others and over time increase the number of peer supporters/advocates and the number of participants actively engaged in the community. Participant-lead awareness raising activities in the community to reduce stigma and barriers around mental illness and addictions. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The Community Consultations conducted in October 2012 identified the need for a program that addresses barriers to community inclusion, provides one to one support and food security for the target population. Project goals and objectives include: Goal 1 Engage hard to reach clients through one to one outreach and encourage community participation. Outreach workers will engage with at least 144 members of the target group over the project period. Goal 2 Improved linkages between service provider agencies on and off reserve to increase community capacity to reach and support this at-risk population. This will be accomplished through: Bi-monthly Steering Committee meetings Monthly front-line worker meetings with 6 agencies participating regularly including Vancouver Coastal Health 8-12 agencies hosting participant activity groups.
Goal 3 Development of a core group of mentors to increase target group capacity to provide support and advocacy for each other. 48 mentors trained by the end of the project period (referral through outreach or partner agencies) At least 28 trained mentors (60%) are actively engaged with the target population (through food cooperative or group activity) and can identify a mentee they have taken on by the end of the project period Goal 4 Intergenerational knowledge exchange in a natural setting. There is a 15% or higher youth (19-24) participation in mentorship training and funded group activities. Goal 5 The development of a food cooperative to promote target group s autonomy, food security and sustainability. The goal is to promote social integration and well-being for individuals through a sustaining economic project. This project seeks to enhance the learning and earning capacities of individuals through strengthening human capital, building interpersonal skills, facilitating access to financial capital, and enhancing social networks. Cooperative social enterprise fosters organic mentorship, literacy, teamwork, capacity building and learning. Together, these factors promote social cohesion. At least 6 participants are actively engaged in operating the Food cooperative at the end of the project period Food cooperative to recruit at least 120 members by the end of the project period At the end of the project period, the food cooperative is generating revenue that is greater than the cost of its operation, helping fund honorariums and key project activities such as mentor-lead groups. Goal 6 Increased mental and quality of life for participants. At least 20% improvement in The Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) score at the project end date compared to baseline (intake). The project intention is the development of a core group of mentors and a network of participant lead groups across the community that increase client and community capacity to better support people with mental health, addictions and/or criminal justice system involvement.
EVALUATION PLAN All projects funded by the Community Action Initiative must be evaluated. Outline the key questions that will be addressed and your evaluation approach and methods. Ensure the evaluation plan corresponds with the objectives listed earlier. The program evaluation will be conducted through an HFSS and University of British Columbia (UBC) School of Social Work partnership and will include the following information: Stakeholder Survey: An on-line and paper survey will be designed through collaboration of both parties and conducted to collect feedback from stakeholders including program partners, collateral services, program participants and program staff. Evaluation will be based on effectiveness in reaching program goals and client/ stakeholder satisfaction. Quantitative and qualitative information: Quantitative data will be collected using The Mental Health Inventory (MHI-38) at baseline and upon program completion to assess program outcomes for the target group. This inventory measures anxiety, depression, behavioral control, positive effect, general distress and overall emotional functioning. The MHI-38 has been selected because it is easy to use, well-known and has been field tested in extensive populations demonstrating high internal validity and reliability. Qualitative data collection methods will include site visits, individual interviews and focus groups. The quantitative and qualitative research will be carried out in partnership with UBC School of Social Work and will adhere to the ethical standards established by the UBC Behavioral Research Ethics Board. Project Statistics: Program staff will be responsible for collecting and documenting project statistics. Data will be captured on a monthly basis and entered into a spreadsheet. Results will be compiled and tracked by the Program Manager. The Program Manager is responsible for producing monthly quantitative and qualitative reports on project activities. A final evaluation report including an analysis of the above information will be produced at the end of the project period.
TIMELINE February 22, 2013 Hire staff, sign MOUs with all partner organizations, begin outreach engagement February 26, 2013 First steering committee meeting, plan project implementation April 8, 2013 First mentorship training module (train the trainer session) begins in North Vancouver April 22, 2013 Food cooperative started with members in the mentorship group May 6, 2013 Second mentorship training module (train the trainer session) begins in Squamish Nation May 20, 2013 Third mentorship training module (train the trainer session) begins in Tsleil- Waututh Nation June 7, 2013 First cohort graduates from mentorship program, food cooperative expanded to others in the target population Milestone 1: 12 mentors trained by June 7, 2013 June 10 Assist first group of mentors to roll out activity groups in North/West Vancouver June 28, 2013 Squamish Nation cohort graduates from mentorship program July 12, 2013 - Tsleil-Waututh Nation cohort graduates from mentorship program Milestone 2: 24 First Nations mentors trained by July 12, 2013 July 15, 2013 Assist First Nations mentors to roll out activity groups on reserve Milestone 3: 6 intergenerational activity groups created across the North Shore and on-reserve by October 1, 2013 October 7, 2013 Fourth mentorship training module begins (North/West Vancouver) December 6, 2013 Second cohort graduates from mentorship program Milestone 4: 48 mentors in total trained by December 6, 2013 Milestone 5: 12 intergenerational activity groups created across the North Shore by January 10, 2014 January 20, 2014 Food cooperative becomes its own entity operated by target population (not for profit) Milestone 6: Food cooperative becomes self-sustaining by February 1, 2014 February 10, 2014 Steering committee meets to discuss sustainability plan and activities past the CAI funding period March 15, 2014 Project evaluation is completed and all final report is compiled