While still in the early stages, the Crossfield Wellness Network is continuing to pick up steam.
The network emerged last fall after Crossfield was selected to take part in the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Rural Mental Health Project (RMHP) and Alberta Health Services’ Healthy Communities Initiative.
Christina Sackett, a facilitator with the RMHP and a member of the Crossfield Wellness Network, said the group’s mandate is for Crossfield residents to “live in a healthy, resilient community that supports them to achieve their optimal wellness,” both physically and mentally.
“It’s an important initiative because I think in a lot of rural communities, mental health has been ignored and there’s a lot of stigma around it,” Sackett said. “I think bringing more awareness and education to our communities around it and starting the conversation to make it so it is more normal so people aren’t afraid to reach out for help or talk to somebody...is key to getting the help they need.”
According to ruralmentalhealth.ca, the RMHP aims to address the barriers that residents of small towns, rural and Indigenous communities in Alberta face with regards to accessing mental health services, education and resources. In order to tackle the issue, Alberta Health is supplying $1.6 million to the Canadian Mental Health Association over three years to develop a mental health network in 150 rural communities and to create “community mental health road maps and action plans.”
After launching the program last fall, Sackett said the response from Crossfield residents has been enthusiastic. She said the wellness network was able to create a coalition of 15 community members, including residents and representatives from local agencies like North Rocky View Community Links and the Boys and Girls Club of Airdrie. The coalition members meet monthly to discuss Crossfield’s health needs and how the wellness network can help fill any gaps.
“We’ve had a few small projects started, but right now, we’re working on a Community Capacity Assessment,” Sackett said. “That’s basically some work we’re doing right now to figure out what our community needs are, what the commitment, resources and skills identified in our community are, and how we can use those to build on the strengths and opportunities that already exist.”
To date, the network has engaged in two projects, Sackett said. First, the group partnered with OSI-CAN – an organization that provides peer support programs for family members of first responders, to create a similar program in Crossfield.
“We’re still in the very early stages of that, but that will be coming in the next few months to the community,” Sackett said. “Basically, OSI-CAN comes in, they train some facilitators from our community to help set up the program and get it going.”
In addition to working with OSI-CAN, Sackett said some coalition members have been taking part in workshops offered by the Imagine Institute for Learning. She said members have been trained to be facilitators of the learning immersions offered by the institute.
“We were able to send five of our community members for training to learn how to teach trauma-informed care and sciences of hope, which is basically a brain science and resiliency course,” she said. “Now, these community members will be able to come back to our community and teach these sessions to different individuals and groups within our area.”
As the Crossfield Wellness Network continues to develop, Sackett said the positive impact on residents' health will be multi-faceted.
“All health is intertwined now – [people] are starting to recognize physical health impacts mental health and vice-versa,” she said. “I think anything we can do to make the community healthier as a whole is a great impact to the community all around.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
