Healthy Minds Cooperative

Join Healthy Minds Cooperative for TWO consultation opportunities to help inform the Government of Nova Scotia's 2SLGBTQIA+ Action Plan! 🌈Tuesday August 13, 6:00pm (VIRTUAL) 🌈Tuesday August 20, 6:00pm (IN PERSON) The upcoming Action Plan will be an all-of-government effort and will be developed based on community feedback and input collected through engagement. HMC is happy to provide two consultation opportunities focused on mental health and addictions in the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. Honorariums will be provided for all those who participate. Event Details: When: Tuesday August 13 AND Tuesday August 20 Who: 2SLGBTQIA+ Nova Scotians Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm AST Where: August 13 is VIRTUAL; August 20 is IN PERSON at Healthy Minds Cooperative, #200 Queen's Square, 45 Alederny Way, Dartmouth. For more information and to register, view our Eventbrite pages here: 🌈Registration for the virtual consultation on August 13: https://lnkd.in/gzzfgTtU 🌈Registration for the in-person consultation on August 20: https://lnkd.in/gsDUnCg4

Join Teacher in Training (Ozhiitaa Jig) Connor Lafortune on July 10th at 6:00pm for a 45 minute overview of Feather Carriers and their approach to life promotion. Life Promotion is an approach to suicide that focuses on root causes and appealing to the spirits of individuals. Instead of reacting in the moment to suicidal ideation, life promotion builds those motivations to live that help individuals overcome painful and hopeless times in their lives. These teachings are drawn from many cultures and points of view; Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Mi’kmaq, Michif, and others. Rather than treating the crisis of suicide in isolation, we see suicide as one of many outcomes, (including addiction and unhealthy relationships), that occurs as a result of loss of meaning in life and connection to others. The way to address this is through developing a sense of identity and knowledge of one’s spirit. This will give us the anchors needed to weather the storms of life. Learn more and register on Eventbrite:  https://lnkd.in/eXyJaMpz

You are an amazing and insightful person who lives with a mental illness/addiction or, supports someone who does. You have experience as a volunteer board member OR you are looking to gain that experience. You have something to offer - for example, knowledge of mental health and addictions programs and stakeholders (locally and provincially), expertise in board governance, fundraising skills, 'connections', a passion for diversity/equity/inclusion/accessibility/reconciliation/anti-racism, legal expertise, etc...

Our next 8-week Affected Others program begins June 11th, from 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm on Tuesdays. Learn about addictions, self-care, and strategies to support your loved one living with substance use disorder. For more information, visit https://lnkd.in/e8VZFg5W

Healthy Minds Cooperative and Roots of Hope are proud to offer a FREE safeTALK training for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community. Livingworks' safeTALK is a four hour certificate course that equips people to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide and better able to connect them with further help. In addition to the training, this opportunity will also comprise of a focus group on the lived experiences of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and suicide and how the safeTALK training can be applied and modified in culturally competent ways. Event Details Date: Saturday May 11, 2024 Time: 9:00am-4:00pm Location: Findlay Community Center, Dartmouth Free of charge, lunch is provided A formal certificate of completion is awarded at the end of training Register through Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/eSTrEvWZ.

FYI - Happening tomorrow...

Join us Monday, April 22nd at 6:00pm on Zoom to hear from Jaden Silva on his guide Transformation: A Guide to Legally Changing Your Name in Nova Scotia. This virtual event will cover how to obtain a name change and sex indicator change in Nova Scotia and how to get those changes reflected on documents like a driver's license, health card, banking details, and through the CRA. Informed heavily by lived experience, Jaden will cover the processes, costs, and self-advocacy often required to obtain a legal name change in Nova Scotia. Register through Eventbrite: https://lnkd.in/eyhmQYrx This event is part of HMC's Circle of Support, a network for queer, trans, 2Spirit people and their educated allies to learn and share on topics of suicide prevention and life promotion within the community. For more information about the Circle and to join for more events like this one, fill out the interest form on our website.

We have author Nanci Lee joining us on Tuesday, March 5th for our Mental Health Writers' Group. If you'd like to join us, register here: https://lnkd.in/gGxS7jmh Here's a message from Nanci in advance of next week: Hi friends. I am a Chinese-Syrian poet, facilitator and coach. My first book Hsin was published in 2022 by Brick Books. Writing, is a practice, that helps me in my wellness and healing, working through identity, struggles, desires. In an interview about my book I explained that the reason part of my book is in fragments is because when I struggle I can feel quite fragmented and, somehow, in writing that can be ok. It can even be honoured in a way. Writing is the way I metabolize my world. I'd like to play with you and some exercises that help you to, in your writing, embody how you're feeling as a way to be present with it.

Open Minds Recovery Addiction Recovery Group is a weekly, 90-minute group that will meet in-person from late March to early July 2024. The group will be co-facilitated by two people with experience with adult group facilitation and addiction. We know from experience that addiction recovery can be one of the (if not) hardest thing that some of us will ever do. We also know that not everyone gets to "recovery" the same way. For example, some may pursue the 12-step approach, and others may opt for the harm reduction method. Open Minds was born out of a need to offer people living with drug/alcohol addiction challenges education and skill development to help them in their recovery – no matter what recovery model works for them. Each week we will learn a principle that is relevant to addiction recovery, then reflect on, and practice what was learned. Interested? You can sign up at https://lnkd.in/gGxS7jmh

Make 'em Laugh: Queer Mental Health & Comedy is for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community who self-identify as having experienced barriers related to addictions and/or mood disorders, and are interested in exploring their experiences through comedy. It's held once monthly for three hours March through June. With support from facilitators with expertise in stand up comedy, improv and mental health, you will learn how to write jokes, be present on stage, and how to explore tough subjects through comedy! The intent is that you use the time between sessions to reflect on what is learned and, as you are able, develop or refine your own jokes and stories. At the end of the program, there is the option for us to host a private show for friends and/or family. You may choose to test out material that you've developed at this show or you may choose to work behind the scenes supporting fellow participants. Either is fine! The intent of this program is not to develop a group of stand-up comedians but rather, to give a bunch of funny people the opportunity to explore the world of comedy from your own perspective and lived experiences. Click here to register: