Flin Flon’s first community-wide mental health awareness campaign is beginning to take shape.
Members of organizations including the Flin Flon School Division (FFSD), City of Flin Flon and Flin Flon Yoga and Wellness met last week to finalize details on individual activities that will take place in conjunction with Bell Let’s Talk day on Jan. 31.
Included in the lineup are gatherings at Flin Flon Yoga and Wellness as well as Ruth Betts Community School, a selfie booth at Pharmasave, school ability-friendly chair yoga at the Community Hall, activities at the library, and mindfulness virtual reality activities for Hapnot Collegiate students during their exam week. Individuals who work in the mental health field will also make presentations at local workplaces and in schools.
Darcie Hotel, mental health worker with FFSD stressed that mental health awareness is especially important in local schools.
“It’s really important that kids break down the stigma so kids don’t get labelled,” said Hotel.
“School is really stressful for some kids – it can make kids not come to school, it can make kids feel like school isn’t a safe place. So just talking about mental health, having it out in the open so kids are aware [is important].”
Hotel also noted the importance of self care and the ability for students to talk to trusted people in the school and the community about their feelings.
“Exam time, boyfriends, girlfriends, relationships in general area always stressful. Having [students] know that their feelings are normal and how to deal with them is important.”
Ebony Trubiak, who helped spearhead the initiative, was happy to see the original idea had grown to include businesses and organizations throughout the community.
“It’s getting bigger and more and more people are getting on board to start conversations in their workplaces,” she said, adding that this year’s initiative was informal.
Trubiak encouraged any organization in the community to take on the initiative and host an event on Jan. 31, and said that she could provide resources from the Bell Let’s Talk campaign to anyone who is interested.
For more information n resources or a full listing of events, contact Trubiak at (204) 687-4865.
