Strategy # 1 - Reducing Stigma

     Goal - Raising Awareness

​          Objectives:

​               - Education, such as formal training (e.g., Mental Health First Aid; ASIST, etc) and informal conversations (e.g., school presentations)

               - Promoting events, groups, training, web-based events, etc

               - Promoting crises and emergency services and community supports

               - Improving access to services by letting people know where they are located and/or that they exist

               - Building and maintaining collaborations/partnerships

     Goal - Reducing barriers and isolation

          Objectives:

               - Helping with transportation and internet access

               - Providing and/or promoting peer support groups

               - Promoting recreational opportunities to bring people together and to encourage relationships

               - Promoting inclusion and creating safe spaces

               - Encouraging people to connect or reconnect with a faith community

     Goal - Changing attitudes

          Objectives:

               - Providing information to the public that promotes positive attitudes towards people with mental illness

               - Providing opportunities for the public to meaningfully connect with people who have a mental illness, preferably on a regular basis

     Goal - Communication

          Objectives:

               - Website, web-based communication (social media)

               - Face-to-face communications

               - Phone support line

               - Advertising (e.g., brochures, posters, newspapers, radio, direct-mail-outs, etc)

Strategy # 2 - Promoting Recovery

     Goal - Peer Support

          Objectives:

               - Establishing peer support groups

               - Promoting, helping and encouraging established peer support groups

               - Making sure the public is aware of mental health resources that are available, including Mental Health and Addictions resources

               - Helping the public navigate the health care system

Strategy # 3 - Building Resiliency

     Goal - Maintaining community and/or professional support, according to need

          Objectives:

               - Promoting events, groups, services and initiatives to create an environment that is likely to protect people from life's challenges

Strategy # 4 - Advocating

     Goal - Approaching all levels of government to strengthen mental health supports for Shelburne County

          Objectives:

               - Improve funding for mental health

               - Community-based supports

               - Having a Shelburne-County voice involved in the decision-making processes (having a more collaborative approach)

               - Being involved in establishing policies

     Goal - Raise awareness of the decision-makers themselves about the needs in Shelburne County

          Objectives:

               - Research and know who the right person is to speak with

               - Who are our partners?

               - Share our successes and challenges

               - Identify our challenges and have possible solutions prepared in advance - don't just take issues, but also suggest potential solutions

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Key Values and Principles (adapted from CMHA National):

- Embracing the voice of people who live with mental health issues

- Recognize the value of lived experience

- Promoting inclusion

- Working collaboratively

- Influencing the social determinants of health (e.g., housing, justice, etc)

- Focusing on the mental health needs of all age groups

- Using evidence to inform our work

- Being transparent and accountable

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