Summer 2012.Pdf
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The Rights Stuff Our mission is to encourage, enable and empower the voice of consumers in the mental health system June • July • August 2012 Inside this issue: Mental Health Rights Coalition centre. From the Executive Director & 2 has once again been approved Editor for a grant by the Government of We are very grateful to the Canada to provide a job to a post Government of Canada for this Make Physical Activity Summer 3 secondary student. grant and to our summer Fun Goal students past and future for This student can come from any being an integral part of the Air Quality & Activity 3 background and program. Lived Mental Health Rights Coalition. experience of mental illness or Healthy You Program 3 addiction is the key. For information about the job description, qualifications and Our past summer students have application process, turn to Fun & Free things to do 4 helped plan events, organize page 7. community resources, create Calendar & Event highlights 5-6 documents and design publications. They have been Boat Cruise 5 involved in many aspects of the daily operations of the drop-in World Hepatitis Day 5 Wellness Recovery Women Empowered Action Plan Continues Diamond Jubilee 6 Support group for WRAP® -Wellness Recovery Action Hepatitis C Peer Support 6 women only. Plan® is a system to help individuals work through mental health challenges training First Tuesday of each or life issues. It is adaptable to any situ- ation. Summer Student Job 7 month http://www.mentalhealthrecovery.com/ If you have a topic you would like We have offered a series of WRAP WRAP posters 8 to see addressed in the group, groups as part of a study sponsored by email Jennifer at The Ontario Trillium Foundation [email protected] A Niagara group is soon starting. Flyer Win your cruise, free! 9 pages 8 Calendars 10-12 Mental Health Rights Coalition, 20 Jackson St W Suite 206 A, Hamilton ON, L8P 1L2 | Phone 905-545-2525 | fax 905-545-0211 | www.mentalhealthrights.ca The Rights Stuff - Summer 2012 Page 1 Executive Director: to laugh along with Brenda Lennie’s Frances V. Jewell “summer vacation photographs” as [email protected] a well as other talented comedians. We were privileged to hear some of Hamilton’s finest musicians play for It feels like sum- Here at MHRC every day is mental us. Thanks to Kevin Barber for mer has been health day but from May 6th to 12 organising and engaging Martin here for a long time. March gave us throughout Canada it was the official Verrall, Tim Gibbons, Al Burebeck, record breaking warmth, April was Mental Health Week. Aimed at in- Mike Williams and Nick Burson just sunny and cooler and May certainly creasing awareness around mental to name a few. has not disappointed weather-wise. health issues TVO’s the Agenda Hot sunny days have prevailed and dedicated the entire week to mental Other events included a Wellness many of us are in summer mode. health. The Schizophrenia Society of Recovery Action Plan info session, a Shorts, tee shirts and sandals are the Ontario hosted Peace of Minds lively discussion of Mental Health uniform of the day as we await the events and walks through-out the and the Media and we wound up the summer solstice on June 21. province and here at MHRC we week with live music in the drop-in. partnered with Good Shepherd for You will see in the newsletter some We’re already in the planning stages screening of Skyworks “Working great ideas of free and low cost for next year and MHRC would like to Life”. MHRC hosted an evening of things to do, how to beat the heat know what events you would like to “Music, Mirth and Mayhem” at and smog, and an announcement see and be involved in. Until then be Waltz in Jackson Square. What great about our boat cruise In August. cool and I wish you good mental fun it was to have 75 people show up health. From the Editor The Rights Stuff Amanda Carey Published quarterly [email protected] by Mental Health Rights Coalition Editorial Policy Ah, Summer! To Another way I am active in summer is The Rights Stuff is published every three me it means fueled by the desire to be outside months by Mental Health Rights Coalition. getting outside to exercise and be more. I walk or bike to the places I Our purpose is to inform our membership and active but as the temperature climbs, need to go instead of taking the bus. partners in mental health and the community about issues and events which may be of the air quality can decline. It’s im- I will take my friend’s son and dog to interest. Included is a calendar of MHRC portant to know about this index and the park. My friends and I get togeth- events for the upcoming months. our city’s public health guidelines for er on the weekend for hikes, to climb The Rights Stuff is available to our members via mail and to others as requested via email exercising outdoors. See page 3 for the escarpment stairs and bike rides and on our web site at: information and also Terry Booth’s on the rail trail. It is a fun way to get www.mentalhealthrights.ca guidelines for an active summer. outside and enjoy the sunshine, The Rights Stuff welcomes submissions & while catching up on each other’s letters of 250 words or less. Be advised that Interestingly, I would rather run MHRC reserves the right to edit and/or when it is 6 degrees Celsius than 26 week and getting exercise without decline publication of any submissions. degrees. No, I would not have be- feeling like we’re exercising. Adding Deadline for submissions is the 15th of the lieved that either, just one year ago, activity, not just exercise, is an im- month previous to publication. before I started running. I saw the portant part of developing a healthy Printing dates are March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1. people running the boxing day 10 lifestyle. So is the variety we enjoy. Views and opinions expressed in this news- miler and thought they were gluttons Just remember the sunscreen and letter represent those of individual con- for punishment. water! tributors, and not necessarily of The Mental Health Rights Coalition. The Rights Stuff - Summer 2012 Page 2 Terry Booth you are Steps to Health or ‘Y’ mem- electrolyte type drinks, good old fash- Summer is a ber take advantage of your member- ioned water will keep us well hydrat- beautiful time of ship ed without adding sugars and other the year. Judging ☼ Start your activity slowly to let things that our bodies really don’t by our early, dry your body get used to exercising in need. spring this sum- the heat ☼ Be safe-if you feel thirsty, mer could be a ☼ Wear lightweight, light coloured tired, confused, dizzy, weak , have a ‘hot one’. It’s im- (the light colour reflects the sun and racing heartbeat, muscle cramps or portant to stay active during the helps to keep you cooler) and loose trouble seeing, STOP your exercise summer and not let the heat be an fitting clothing immediately, get to a cool place to excuse for turning into a couch pota- rest and drink water. Seek medical to. Health Canada and the Canadian ☼ Protect your skin from sun attention if you don’t start feeling Diabetes Association have set guide- burns-wear a hat and sunglasses, use better or are unable to get cooled lines that encourage adults to get at sun screen (remember to reapply reg- down quickly. You could have heat least 150 minutes of physical activity ularly), try to exercise in shaded are- exhaustion which can lead to heat each week. Consider the following as and stay out of the sun as much as stroke if not treated. quick safety tips to ensure that you possible ☼ Enjoy your summer…winter enjoy some fun in the sun activities. ☼ Keep hydrated-this is especially will be here before we know it! ☼ Plan activities during the cooler important if you have diabetes be- cause body fluid lost during perspira- times of day-morning or early even- Public health nurse, Terry Booth, ing when the sun is not so hot tion can actually cause your blood RNCDE, runs two diabetes education sugar to rise. Everyone should be ☼ Exercise indoors if you are able sure to drink plenty of fluids before, groups every month at MHRC. Terry is i.e. walk in an air conditioned mall, during and after activity. Most of us the Diabetes Educator for St. Joseph’s swim in an indoor community pool, if don’t need to drink costly energy or Hospital. Member Recommends: Healthy You Hamilton family Health Team offers a 14 week pro- gram called “Healthy You Weight Management Pro- gram” This program is recommended by MHRC mem- One thing to keep in mind if you are exercising outside ber Cheryl Norton. She says, this summer is the air quality. The picture above is a visual representation of the scale used to measure air qual- “It is a comprehensive program to help people ity. become the weight they want to be. It has a number of facilitators, mostly dietitians. There is no cost. The Hamilton Public Health Services has created guidelines for the general population and at risk individuals who exercise benefits are tremendous.” at various air quality levels. See complete descriptions at The Healthy You program is a group weight manage- http://www.hamilton.ca/HealthandSocialServices/PublicHe ment approach that focuses on lifestyle changes that alth/AirQualityHealthIndexInfo.htm may help you reach and maintain a healthier body You can find what the current air quality index is at The weight or shape.