A new Airdrie-based foundation is seeking to advocate for a “positive change in mental health” in the community by raising awareness and getting people talking.
“We want to meet people where they are in our community. I know that if we do it right, people are going to be talking,” said Kim Titus, director of the foundation. “People are hungry for help, they’re hungry to be able to help. They want to help, they just want to know where to put that help.”
Titus became advocating for provincial change on mental health following the death of her son, Braden, who was unable to secure an appointment with a psychiatrist in the time following his decision to go cold turkey off antidepressants.
According to Titus, the Thumbs Up Foundation was named after a habit of Braden’s known well by those around him.
“In every family picture, he always had his thumb up. That was him, thumbs up all the time,” Titus said. “When we turned it over to the big guy, during the service we asked everyone in the congregation to give a thumbs up. It’s hugely personal for us.”
According to information from the Alberta office of the chief medical examiner, suicides increased 30 per cent in Alberta in the first half of 2015. That trend, along with awareness and available care in the province, prompted the start of the foundation.
“We know some of the gaps based on personal experience, and that’s what started the whole ball rolling. But there’s more than one gap – Braden didn’t fall through the only gap,” Titus said. “We want to have cutting edge mental health and healthy community in Airdrie.
“It’s about people getting in the boat and grabbing an oar.”
According to the Thumbs Up Foundation website, thethumbsupfoundation.com, the organization aims to “help improve knowledge around mental health; help to create awareness for the need for systemic change(s) to the current access to care, and educate on the devastating loss that can result from these deficiencies.”
“We’re just a small part of the community involvement across Alberta. But it’s a good news story and a bad news story,” Titus said. “They’re growing because these things continue to happen, but they’re growing to make some positive changes as well. To me, that’s where change comes from.”
With the launch of the organization’s website and a promotional video June 24, Titus said Thumbs Up will serve to connect those looking to advocate and change mental health in the province. The foundation’s first event, a charity golf tournament, is scheduled Aug. 25 at Woodside Golf Course.
“As I’ve handed people my card in Airdrie, it’s almost like they exhale in relief that this is coming, and we don’t even know what this is yet,” Titus said. “We just know that there’s a need and there’s a gap. If nothing else, what we do is help to connect the dots.”
For more information, visit thethumbsupfoundation.com
