Students, Families, and Staff Answer the Question, "What Does Mental Health Mean to Me” in Window Decorating Challenge.
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, which ran from May 5-9, Sagamok’s Mental Health & Addictions (MHA) Team invited Department staff teams, families, and individuals to decorate their windows using the theme ‘What Does Mental Health Mean to Me?’ Painting kits and canvases were provided upon registration for the event, and there were generous prizes for winners, such as gift cards to the movies, a catered lunch, and more! The challenge was embraced whole-heartedly by the community!!
To inspire reflection towards the contest, Darlene asked Daycare and Biidaaban students to consider, “what do you do to take good care of yourself?” A few of the replies from students were:
· Go on my trampoline
· Take care of my pet/fish
· Play with my puppy
· Go outside
· Eat healthy foods
· Exercise and play
· Visit with my grandparents/spend time with family and friends
The MHA Team focused students’ attention on the idea that just as we take care of our physical health, we need to take care of our mental health as well. “We often talk about our physical health, but it is equally important to talk about our mental health,” mentioned Darlene. After visiting each classroom, the team concluded their visit by introducing themselves and their services to the senior grades, and letting kids know that age 12 is the age of consent, whereby students can call the CWD themselves to access support and services to help them with their mental health and/or life challenges. “Support is available and even if you don’t want to talk to a counsellor, stop by our office to pick up a Resource Guide. We will support you and your family on your journey,” shared Raven. The week prior to the Window Decorating contest, Darlene McNaughton (Clinical Supervisor), Allison Owl (Youth Mental Health Worker – ages 12-24), and Raven Hammond (Children’s Mental Health Worker– ages 0-18) – visited Daycare, Biidaaban, and Elders Eagle Lodge to deliver information regarding services they offer to children, youth, adults, elders, and families who are members of Sagamok. They took the opportunity to introduce themselves to staff and students at these locations to help give themselves a familiar face. As part of Earth Day celebrations, the team delivered a peat pot and pea seed for students to plant and nurture, drawing a connection for students of the necessity to providing ourselves with the same nutrients for healthy growth as we would offer the plant– sunlight, fresh air, good quality food, vitamins, and a positive environment.
The team conveyed the message that they are here to support anyone – all ages, all stages. They focus on a holistic support approach, taking guidance from the teaching of the medicine wheel to bring about balance and wellness to those who ask for assistance. In addition to their message for the students, the MHA Team also shared with teachers that they have the capacity to offer consultations, assisting them with challenges they may be facing with parents or students. Examples include how to better support students they notice are not meeting the grade level targets for curriculum/understanding or extra resources for families of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The MHA Team can facilitate case management and/or external referrals if families prefer to work with someone outside of the immediate community. Raven added, “With the consistency from both the Education and Community Wellness Departments, we have been able to bridge a good level of mental health support services.”
During the week-long window decorating challenge, Daycare, Biidaaban, and the Life-Long Learning Centre, as well as the Eagles Lodge, departments of Sagamok, individuals and families throughout the community, decorated their windows with posters and paintings – including emotional faces– smiley, sad, confused, frustrated – along with flowers, hearts, green ribbons, medicine wheels, peace symbols, thought bubbles and wording such as: SpeakYour Mind, You are Not Alone, Take Care of Your Mind, You Matter, Family, Music, Pets, You are Loved, Healing Takes Time. The window designs were creative and beautifully done; each as unique as the people who designed them! They stood out brightly for passersby to enjoy, to reflect on; offering a gentle and constant reminder that we all need to take care of mental health in ourselves and others; that it is healthy and safe to talk about our struggles; and that support is nearby.
The exercise in decorating the windows using paint and imagination brought people together to talk more openly about what mental health means to each of us, a time to reflect and destress, and to demonstrate that we are all connected through this topic of conversation. At any point in our lives, we might be the one seeking help or we might be the one helping someone else through their struggle. It is important to understand that everyone needs support and that support is always available if you reach out and ask for it. By performing the physical motions of painting, this process can be meditative while allowing creative juices to flow. Painting fosters collaboration between fellow employees, students, and staff members, ranging from toddlers to Elders. It is this interconnectivity, understanding, compassion, communication, and effort towards a better version of ourselves and supporting others, that will bring about acceptance, change, and mental health wellness.
As Raven Hammond (Children’s Mental Health Worker )highlights in her announcement, the MHA team was very pleased to see such a positive response to the contest: “Darlene and I had the pleasure of driving through the community this morning [May 9], taking in all the beautiful and inspiring artwork created for the Window Painting Contest. We were truly moved by the creativity and thoughtfulness that each display brought to the theme of mental health awareness.”
Here’s an excerpt from the summary provided by Raven following the contest's conclusion:
“We’re thrilled to announce the winners of this year's contest — congratulations to all!
Department Winners are Children & Family Advocacy Unit (CFAU), Santana Bennett team, and IT & Communications!!! We will be in touch shortly to provide your department a catered lunch.
For community members, the winners are Jasmine Abitong, Trista Toulouse and Koli Peltier. We will be in touch shortly to provide your prizes as well.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this week’s events. Your engagement and enthusiasm made this initiative a success.
We would also like to recognize the CFAU, Communications, Daycare, Eagles Lodge, Biidaaban, and Education Departments for their collaboration and support throughout this campaign.
And to our incredible Mental Health and Addictions Team — thank you for your ongoing dedication and tireless efforts to support mental wellness every day.”
Chi miigwech to the Mental Health and Addictions Team for providing this creative outlet and reflective community contest to bring awareness to Mental Health and Wellbeing within our community. The window decorations are still visible, providing us with a reminder of the importance of keeping mental wellness in sight! And thought, words, and actions have a lasting impact, so let’s be mindful towards others and ourselves. This was a meaningful way to bring awareness to a topic that can be tricky for some to discuss. Painting or creating artwork can share equally strong messages and stimulate conversation when talking is tough. Through fun challenges such as the Window Decorating Challenge for Mental Health Awareness Week, we can begin to reshape the layers of stigma and fear surrounding openly discussing our mental health. Miigwech for offering the schools and community a window into information and services provided by the Mental Health and Addictions Team. We appreciate all that your team does to support Sagamok!
