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The Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary developed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada

The Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary (TIM PS) is an evidence-based program designed to address and promote mental health and reduce the stigma of mental illness in an educational / student setting.

TIM PS was adapted from existing evidence-based program The Working Mind from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.

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The program pilot was formally launched at the University of Calgary in January 2016 and in January 2017 at Mount Royal University. In late 2017, the pilot program expanded to include the University of Lethbridge, MacEwan University, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Dalhousie University, the Nova Scotia Community College and Dalhousie Medical School.

Goals

The goals of the 3 hour training are to:

    reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards those struggling with poor mental health
    help participants maintain mental health and improve resilience and coping strategies
    teach participants about the Mental Health Continuum Model
    foster a supportive campus community
    support others

Course Structure

The Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary was created with the input of students as well as faculty and staff, from the University of Calgary, with mental health-related expertise. It is delivered in a 3-hour workshop format and covers three main components: stigma reduction, resiliency skills, and the Mental Health Continuum Model.

The Mental Health Continuum Model reconceptualizes how one thinks and talks about mental health by categorizing signs and indicators of good to poor mental health under a four-colour continuum: green (healthy), yellow (reacting), orange (injured), and red (ill).

Beyond these main components, the program also teaches about creating a supportive campus and how to support others who may be experiencing poor mental health. The program is designed to be interactive with activities and group discussions, as well as a set of scenarios for participants to work through. TIM PS takes these very good basic skills and contextualizes them in a way that is relevant to students. The curriculum includes custom videos featuring students, providing examples to which they can relate (e.g. mid-term stress, relationship challenges, being away from home/family supports).

There is also a train-the-trainer (TTT) course for TIM PS, which equips people with the tools and skills to present this course in their organization. The train-the-trainer course includes:

    Background information on mental health
    Extensive information on the key concepts relating to the student environment
    Structured presentation practice time
    Evaluation of presentation skills by master trainers

Fall 2017 Pilot

The research project relating to the pilot launch of TIM PS (Fall 2017) evaluated the effectiveness and impact of the program including measuring mental illness stigma, resiliency skills and comfort in supporting others with mental illnesses.

There are plans to develop versions of TIM PS for graduate and international students. The development of an adaptation for youth began in 2018.
Contact

To learn more about The Inquiring Mind Post-Secondary, please email: theinquiringmind@mentalhealthcommission.ca

Source: https://theworkingmind.ca/inquiring-mind-post-secondary




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