Links and Documents

Mental Health for Immigrants - Video of an ESL Class Workshop

Background

The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Toronto runs the Working Together: Across Cultures Project. In partnership with community, settlement, and employment organizations CMHA Toronto provides mental health capacity and cultural competency workshops to increase the quality of life of newcomers who are experiencing resettlement stress and mental health issues.

CMHA provides:

• A staff person from the Cross Cultural Initiatives Program who provides mental health consultation, support , education, to service providers working for newcomers so that they can link and support newcomers to appropriate mental health services.
  

• Knowledge transfer, education and skills on how to recognize , assess the Signs and Symptoms of Resettlement Stress, Mental Illness, Suicide Intervention, Cross Cultural Mental Health, PTSD & Trauma, and Mental Health Resources
  

• Capacity and resources for Organizations to Link clients to mental health resources

Staff from the Cross Cultural Initiatives Program are also available to provide mental health consultation, support , education, to service providers working for newcomers so that they can link and support newcomers to appropriate mental health services.

Video of a LINC Class Presentation

The following six video clips were taken during a recent CMHA workshop to a LINC class at a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) LINC location. Our thanks to the administration, teachers and students for their permission to film this session at their location.

Gulshan Allibhai, CMHA Cross Cultural Coordinator is presenting in the video. It is broken into 5 minute clips, each leading into the next. For most comprehensive viewing, it is best to view each video in order, from 1 to 6. (Please note: the audio is low in some sections and you may need to increase the volume on your computer to hear. Best viewed with headphones on)

Video 1
An introduction to stress and discussion about what it means to workshop participants. Participants describe how they experienced pressure, tension and stress when they first arrived in Canada.

Video 2
Discussion about how our bodies react to the experience of stress, specifically how adrenaline affects us.

Video 3
Continuation of discussion about how stress affects us and how we react.

Video 4
Participants discuss what their signs of stress are - physical, emotional - and how they cope.

Video 5
A focus on Resettlement Stress, including the initial highs and lows that newcomers experience when they first arrive. Participants continue to discuss their signs of stress and how they cope.

Video 6
Participants continue to discuss their signs of stress and how they cope. Some conclusions and insights about how stress can lead to mental health issues, and the importance of balance in our lives.

For more information, or to book a session, contact:
Gulshan Allibhai, MSW
Cross Cultural Coordinator
416-289-6285, ext. 307
gallibhai@cmha-toronto.net