The 10th Emotional Health CarnivalJune 10, 2011Rozsa Centre, University of Calgary

Liza Chan, Emotional Health Carnival Partnership MemberExecutive Director, Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association

Rationale

Adaptation/adjustment challenges Mental Health (MH) issues are a social

taboo Inadequacy of appropriate & cultural

competent MH programs Not knowing MH programs & resources

Goal to raise emotional/mental health

awareness to encourage self care & help seeking to connect MH services to Chinese

community to promote inclusiveness & access to MH

services Create a reference model for future

initiatives for other ethnic communities

Means

How: Carnival & community education When: annually Who: 10-14 Emotional Health Carnival

partners including Chinese agencies, immigrant serving agencies & main stream service providers

Partners

Alberta Health Services - Calgary Zone Calgary Chinese Community Service Association Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association Calgary Family Services Calgary Family Therapy Centre Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association Centre for Newcomers Chinese Christian Mission of Canada, Calgary

Service Centre Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary Immigrant Services Calgary

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participants

Cultural competent approach Why choose ‘carnival’ as the title? Understanding cultural taboo

Linguistically competent approach First language materials and

translation

Community readiness Change of seeking help behaviour Articulate their needs of MH services &

information Featured workshops to replace carnival

Community profile Increased Mandarin speaking immigrants Engage Mandarin speaking stakeholders Organize programs catered to Mandarin speaking

community

Learning

Shared vision & belief can build strong partnership Sensitivity to community readiness / profile leads

to changing strategies Key stakeholders & ethnic media support enhance

the success of the event Lacking of accessible first language mental health

services Realization of the close relationship between MH

and family violence

Outcomes

Increased community MH awareness New services & alliance: Chinese Community

Response to Family Violence, Depression Support Group, Old Memories Old Melodies

Build and share resources among partners and service providers

Ethnic media put MH in their program

Challenges

Lack of sustainable funding, on yearly basis Not affordable, not reliable, not accessible MH

services Not enough resources allocated to ethno-cultural

communities Difficult to measure behavioural/attitude change Lack of first language providers/practitioners

Equitable MH services Cultural competent service providers First language service providers First language liaisons link ethno-cultural

communities to main stream service providers

Liaisons housed in accessible and familiar locations

First language materials and education

Calgary Chinatown Lions Club

Calgary Chinatown Lions Club – Sole sponsor in 2011

Sing Tao Newspaper (Canada 1988) Ltd. Fairchild Radio FM94.7 Fairchild TV

For EHC information, email project coordinator, Phyllis Luk@ pluk@ucalgary.ca

For a copy of this presentation, visitChinese Community Response to Family Violence website @ www.ccrfv.ca

THANK YOU!!