L E A R N I N G S ’ S U M M A RY R E P O R TO F T H E M AY 1 8 T H , 2 0 1 9 E V E N T

T H E AQ R P ’ S G R E AT M E N TA L H E A LT H YO U T H G AT H E R I N G :

A P R O J E C T B Y , F O R A N D W I T H Q U E B E C K E R Y O U T H S W I T H L I V E D E X P E R I E N C E I N M E N T A L H E A L T H

A Q R P ’ S G M H Y G

T H E AQ R P ’ S G R E AT M E N TA L H E A LT H YO U T H G AT H E R I N G :

L E A R N I N G S ’ S U M M A R Y R E P O R T O FT H E M A Y 1 8 T H , 2 0 1 9 E V E N T

C O M P I L E D B Y E M M A N U E L L E S A U L N I E R - L E C L E R CW I T H T H E H E L P O F

T H E O R I E N T A T I O N A N D F O L L O W - U P C O M M I T E EB A S E D O N T H E M A Y 1 8 T H E V E N T P A R T I C I P A N T S ’ E X P E R I E N C E S

A U G U S T 2 0 1 9

T H E G R E AT M E N TA L H E A LT H Y O U T H G AT H E R I N G ’ S

T E A M :

DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION (ORIENTATION AND FOLLOW-UP COMMITEE)

Jack Boudreault (Capitale nationale)

Cathy Martineau (region – Chaudière-Appalaches)

Vincent Arsenault (région – Montérégie)

Dylan Hervé (Montreal)

Kharoll-Ann Souffrant (Montreal)

Janie Dolan Cake (Montreal)

Ronny Al-Noisir (Montreal)

ORGANIZATIONAL ALLIES

Mouvement Jeunes et Santé Mentale

ACCESS Open Space

Jack.org

COORDINATION

Emmanuelle Saulnier-Leclerc, youth project manager at the AQRP

SUPPORT TO THE PROCESSIsabelle Barbeau, community organizer for the

Capitale-Nationale’s CSSS

CONTACT PERSON

Diane Harvey, executive director at the AQRP

SATELLITE MEMBERS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS

The GMHYG team wants to highligh the work of multiple people who contri-buted to the project’s development - youths with lived experience in mental health, as well as organizations and initiatives who supported the GMHYG -

through their enthousiasm and involvement in its ongoing activities.

PROJECT FOUNDERThe GMHYG team wants to highlight the project founder Emilie Lebrun’s

contribution, through the ideation and development of the project.

1.

LEARNINGS’ SUMMARY REPORT ILLUSTRATIONSNancy Roberge

LOGO AND GRAPHIC TEMPLATESMarie-Ève Scharfe

SUMMARY OF THE GREAT MENTAL HEALTH YOUTH GATHERING’S 2018-2019 PROCESS & ACTIVITIES :HOW DID WE GET HERE ?

The Great Mental Health Youth Gathering is an evolutive project developped by, for and with youths with experiential knowledge in mental health. In order to increase their social inclusion, it aims at creating an iden-tity community where their specific lived experiences and shared realities are represented, and where their common aspirations and challenges are identified. Its 1st phase stretched from September 2018 to June 2019, ending with an event in Quebec City which gathered around forty youths from different backgrounds.

JANUARY 2019: FACEBOOK PAGE LAUNCH

@GRJ.SM.AQRP shares news related to youth mental

health, testimonies, and updates on the GMHYG’s activi-

ties.

JANUARY 2019: BLOG LAUNCH

‘‘Micro-ouvert JSM: perspectives en santé mentale’’ is a

blog that shares testimonies by and for youths to demons-

trate the different aspects of mental health challenges

amongst youths. Of the 10 testimonies published so far,

some count as many as 200 readings.

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2019: CONSULTATIONS

Consultations and interviews are conducted with approxi-

mately 50 youths with lived experience and people wor-

king with them.

They allow to distinguish important journey themes, recove-

ry aspects they’d like to see discussed in society, thoughts

and ideas related to the concept of a mental health youth

identity community and logistical elements (sharing modes,

agenda, follow-up) improving and enabling healthy sharing

and safe-spaces.

MARCH-MAY 2019: PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS

ON THE GMHYG PROCESSES

12-03-19: PARADOXES SEMINAR

23-03-19: ‘LES JEUNES QUI PASSENT À L’ACTION’

LIGHTNING PRESENTATION

08-05-19: JOURNÉES ANNUELLES DE LA SANTÉ MEN-

TALE PRESENTATION

MAY 18TH, 2019: GREAT MENTAL HEALTH YOUTH

GATHERING

MILESTONES AND ACTIVITIES

THE GMHYG IS A PROJECT BY, FOR AND WITH YOUTHS

WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH.

This means that the project’s main protagonists are youths

with lived experience, and that its activities are mainly de-

signed to cather to their needs. It is also based on an ho-

rizontal organization mode rather than a hierarchical one.

THE GMHYG IS AN EVOLUTIVE PROJECT.

Since it is based on a co-construction process, it improves

as its reach expands and as new stakeholders influence its

evolution.

METHODOLOGY

SPRING-SUMMER 2018

2 contracting youths, helped by the youth project manager

and a CN-CSSS community organizer, developped a pro-

ject proposition establishing the initiative’s foundations.

SEPTEMBER 2018

A call for candidates to form the first Orientation and Fol-

low-Up Commitee is launched. Composed of youths with

experiential knowledge in mental health, of different age,

identities, administrative regions, journeys and expe-

riences, it leads the project.

8 youths sign up for this adventure.

SEPTEMBER 2018-JUNE 2019

In total, 13 Orientation and Follow-Up meetings (10 monthly

meetings, 3 extraordinary ones) take place to co-create the

GMHYG project throughout the year. More than 10 auto-or-

ganized sub-committee meetings are also held.

CO-CREATION PROCESS

2.

MAY 18TH EVENT’S OBJECTIVES

1. CREATE BONDS OF SOLIDARITY BETWEEN YOUNG QUEBECKERS WITH LIVED MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENCE, IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THE FOUNDATIONS OF AN IDENTITY COMMUNITY

BASED ON YOUTHS’ MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE.

2. PROVIDE A COMMON AND SPECIFIC PICTURE OF THE CHALLENGES, PREOCCUPATIONS AND VICTORIES OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEYS (IMPACTED LIFE SPHERES, RELATIONS TO

SOCIETY, FACTORS AND RESOURCES TO RECOVERY).

3. CONSOLIDATE THE DAY’S FINDINGS IN FUTURE ASPIRATIONS AND AVENUES FOR ACTION FOR THE EMERGING COMMUNITY: IN SHORT, DECIDE WHAT THE UPCOMING ACTIVITIES OF THE

GREAT MENTAL HEALTH YOUTH GATHERING WILL BE !

GMHYG PROJECT SUMMARYOBJECTIVES

GREAT MENTAL HEALTH YOUTH GATHERING GLOBAL OBJECTIVE

TO CREATE AND CONSOLIDATE AN IDENTITY COMMUNITY LED BY, FOR AND WITH YOUTHS WITH MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE.

3.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DAY’S FINDINGS

WORKSHOP #1: THE IMPACT OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES ON DIFFERENT LIFE SPHERESEvery single life sphere seemed to be potentially affected by participants’ mental health struggles : however, the intensity of such affected spheres’ impact will vary from person to person.

Unsurprisingly, life spheres are usually more affected by our mental health in harder times.

Some life spheres do come up more often in our narratives, which include...

• Interpersonal relations spheres (love life, family, friendships) ;

• Social implication spheres (academic and school life, work, social involvement);

• Personal perception (mostly in terms of self confidence and self esteem).

WORKSHOP #2: SOCIAL RESPONSES RECEIVED THROUGHOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEYSMost identified factors, whether they be related to personal relations, medical institutions or non-medical institutions, can be associated with both positive and negative social responses. Those are complex issues with lots of nuances, and social responses will vary throughout time.

However...

• Medical factors (health professionnals such as doctors and psychiatrists, health care systems, control measures in such health institutions and medication) have often come up in our discussions as negative social responses;

• On the contrary, relationship factors (family, friends) have been more often associated with positive social responses;

• Social responses from community organizations and resources have also often been associated with positive outcomes.

WORKSHOP #3: MENTAL HEALTH RECOVERYOur common definition of recovery refers to the fact that recovery manifests itself in personal terms, and will vary from person to person! Since every mental health challenge and person is different, each recovery process will also be personal, including the resources used to reach said self-identified state of recovery.

We can nevertheless observe common lexical fields related to:

• Treatment;

• Attitudes towards life challenges;

• Activities (functionnality allowed by recovering);

• Positive emotions.

‘‘ EVERY SINGLE LIFE SPHERE SEEMS TO BE POTENTIALLY AFFECTED BY PARTICIPANTS’ MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES; HOWEVER, THE INTENSITY OF SUCH AFFECTED SPHERES’ IMPACT WILL VARY FROM PERSON TO PERSON. ’’

‘‘ MOST IDENTIFIED FACTORS, WHETHER THEY BE RELATED TO PERSONAL RELATIONS, MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS OR NON-MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS, CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH

BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SOCIAL RESPONSES. HOWEVER, , MEDICAL INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS SEEM TO BE MORE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE SOCIAL RESPONSES. ’’

« SINCE EVERY MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGE AND PERSON IS DIFFERENT, EACH RECOVERY PROCESS WILL ALSO BE PERSONAL, INCLUDING THE RESOURCES USED TO REACH SAID SELF-IDENTIFIED STATE OF RECOVERY. ’’

MAY 18TH EVENT’S SUMMARYBRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DAY’S FINDINGS

4.

WORKSHOP #1: LIFE SPHERES AFFECTED BY OUR MENTAL HEALTH

GENERAL ASSESSMENTS :

1. OUR LIFE SPHERES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE IMPACTED BY OUR MENTAL HEALTH IN HARDER TIMES.

2. ALL LIFE SPHERES CAN BE POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY INFLUENCED BY OUR MENTAL HEALTH.

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #1

INTERPERSONNAL RELATIONS SPHERES: SELF-PERCEPTION:

Spirituality

+ Sacred moments linked to struggles

Identity

- Negative self-perception in harder times throughout

mental health journey

Self-confidence

Loneliness

Transition into adulthood

Autonomy

+ - Necessary social solidarity to fullfill emotional,

housing and food needs

Self-accceptance, of one’s journey and limits

Motivation

Love life

+ Positive reactions from loved ones

- Less stable relations due to mental heal struggles

Family

+ Family’s support and help to go through difficulties, ne-

ver giving up through hardship

- Absence of parents for others

Friendship

+ Group of friends contributing to well-being

- Need to be alone

- Loss of friends

Other

+ Gifts, solidarity, major support through spirituality

- Intimidation contributed to fear of others

- Altered social relations

- Feeling of rejection

- Isolation & social marginalization

+ -

+ -

+ -

+ -

-

++ -

+ -

+ - -

+ - - - -

-

+

5.

Physical health

+ - Mental health affects both positively and negativity one’s capacity to answer basic needs

Lifestyle

Sports

Clinical interventions and treatments

+ Good support

- Difficult relations with professionals

Sexuality

Cognitive impairment

Other troubles

Relationship to body

- Feeling of imminent death

- Performative relation to body

Methadone

+ Increases functionality

+ Can save lives

- Causes physical pain.

Economic constraints

School life

+ Reflexions regarding oneself and the link between school and mental health

- Difficulties at school and lack of productivity

Work

+ Inspires ambitions

+ Factor for recovery

- Decrease in productivity, concentration and cognitive functions

- Decrease of self-confidence

Relation to the environment

Social implication

+ Prospect of being a source of support for a dear cause

+ Networking

+ Civic participation

Arts

+ Allows for artistic expression

+ Deconstruction of certain idas and preconceptions, empowerment

+ Nourished by experiences

Opportunities

Perception of the future

6.

HEALTH: SOCIAL IMPLICATION SPHERES:

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #1

+ -

+ -

+ -

+ -

+ -

+ --

+ -

+

+

-

-

+

++

+ +

+ -

*

**

* Lack of productivity, rejection, difficulties at school,

economic constraints

* Solidarity, autonomy, self-confidence, physical health

WORKSHOP #2: SOCIAL RESPONSES RECEIVED THROUGHOUT OUR MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY

GENERAL ASSESSMENTS:

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CREATION OF AN IDENTITY COMMUNITY FOR PEER SUPPORT IS REAFFIRMED.

2. THE LINKS BETWEEN MENTAL HEALTH, IDENTITY AND OUR SOCIAL CONTEXT ARE MULTIFA-CETED AND COMMUNICATING.

3. OUR HEALTH SYSTEM AND HOSPITALS ARE HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE SOCIAL RESPONSES.

Positive influence of specific individuals (psychiatrists,

occupational therapist, nurses, doctors)

Medication

Individuals speaking up about mental health

Not been taken seriously, lack of consideration

Lack of support

Poor reception from doctors and psychiatric services

Medication

Social control and power relations in the health care

system

Private monitoring

Diagnosis

Restricted exercice of fundamental rights

A. SOCIAL RESPONSES

Friends and family’s solidarity

Appropriate social support

Inappropriate reactions from family and friends

Toxic relations

Absent or bad social support

OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AND HOSPITALS ARE HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH NEGATIVE SO-

CIAL RESPONSES AND WOULD NEED THOROUGH SELF-CRITICISM TAKING INTO ACCOUNT USERS’

EXPERIENCES.

THESE NEGATIVE EXPERIENCES CAN LEAVE TRAU-MAS WHEN FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS ARE VIOLATED

IN FAVOR OF SPECIFIC TREATMENTS.

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #2

1. INSTITUTIONAL CARE AND SERVICES:

2. INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS:

+

+

+

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

+

+

-

-

-

7.

* My lived experience vs. scientifical knowledge

Some examples of acts of resistance that came up during

the workshop:

• Act positively against the system;

• Get a tattoo;

• Going out to see people;

• Being persistant or persevering;

• Take part in process;

• Find meaning to ordeals in turning challenges into po-

sitive action.

B. RESISTANCE

8.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

+ Higher self-confidence

+ Better support

+ Allows for social involvement

+ Promotion of change starting with us

+ Knowledge sharing between organizations, youths and

scholars

+ Promotion of lived experience as a strength

- Inadequate reactions, sometimes

YPD

- horrors and traumas

- medicalization

SCHOOL

+ Academic services

+ Student financial assistance

- Professors and academic setting sometimes inadequate

AN ACT OF RESISTANCE WILL VARY ACCORDING TO PEOPLE AND CONTEXTS.

CRISIS CENTERS

JUDICIAL SYSTEM

- Violences

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES

MENTAL HEALTH HOTLINES

- Sometimes, inadequate responses to needs

OTHER SERVICES CONTRIBUTING TO WELL BEING

+ Social workers

+ Osteopath

SELF-HELP GROUPS

‘‘ [...] Any mental or behavioral act through which a person

attempts to expose, withstand, repel, stop, prevent, abs-

tain from, strive against, impede, refuse to comply with, or

oppose any form of violence or oppression (including any

type of disrespect), or the conditions that make such acts

possible, may be understood as a form of resistance. [...]

Further, any attempt to imagine or establish a life based

on respect and equality, on behalf of one’s self or others,

including any effort to redress the harm caused by violence

or other forms of oppression, represents a de facto form of

resistance.’’

Wade, A. (1997). Small acts of living: everyday resistance to violence and other forms of oppression.Contemporary

Family Therapy, 19(1), 23-39.

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #2

3. NON-MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS:

++ + ++ + -

- -

-++

+

-

+

-

+ +

+

* Other responses & my lived experience

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #3

9.

* Well-being, friends, pleasure, sport, effort, medication, perseverance, optimism, peace of mind, therapy, functionnality, follow-up,

humility, music, listening to oneself, balance, work, time, travel.

WORKSHOP #3: RECOVERY

GENERAL ASSESSMENTS :

1. RECOVERY IS A PERSONAL AND VARIABLE PROCESS. EVERYONE DEFINES THEMSELVES WHEN THEY ARE RECOVERED.

2. SINCE ALL CONDITIONS AND CHALLENGES ARE DIFFERENT, ALL RECOVERY PROCESSES ARE ALSO DIFFERENT.

3. RECOVERY IS A NON-LINEAR PROCESS. IT CAN TAKE TIME.

1. TREATMENT

Work •

Functionality •Occupations •

Travel •Friendships •

Sports •Music •

Pleasure •

Well-being •Peace of mind, inner peace •

Being centered •Balance •Stability •

• Empowerment

• Listening & self-respect

• Taking your time

• Acknowledgment of one’s strenghts and challenges

• Optimism

• Will

• Perseverance

• Humility

• Healing

• Medication

• Care

• Therapy

• Effort

2. ACTIVITIES

3. ATTITUDES 4. POSITIVE EMOTIONS

IN ORDER TO ILLUSTRATE THE DIVERSITY OF POSSIBLE DEFINITIONS, PARTICIPANTS WERE INVITED TO CREATE A WORD MAP OF TERMS REPRESENTING WHAT RECOVERY IS FOR THEM.

MAY 18TH EVENT’S FINDINGSWORKSHOP #3

10.

GENERAL ASSESSMENTS

1. ACTIONS ARE NECESSARY.

• THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUTH CONSULTATIONS, BUT FEW CONCRETE MEASURES: WE WANT REAL ACTION !

• ALTHOUGH TALKING ABOUT ONE’S LIVED EXPERIENCE IS THE FIRST STEP TO CREATE STRONG IN-TERPERSONAL BONDS, A COMMUNITY’S CREATION MUST INCLUDE MOBILISATION FOR CONCRETE PROJECTS.

2. IT IS REALLY HARD TO GAIN RECOGNITION FOR EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OUTSIDE OF OUR CIRCLES OF PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE.

3. BY LISTENING TO OTHERS, WE LEARN MORE ABOUT OURSELVES, AND WE PUT IN PERSPEC-TIVE OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE; WE MUST TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT IN FUTURE ACTIVITIES.

4. WE MUST THINK ABOUT WAYS TO PUT OUR EXPERIENCES IN COMMON, BEYOND SIMPLE SHARING.

WHAT’S NEXT?FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR FURTHER ACTIONS OF THE GMHYG

11.

* Youth’s voice (based on their lived experience) : concrete actions, trainings,

better organization (of mental health care and services), community services

FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR FURTHER ACTIONS

1. EXPLORE DIVERSE AND DOCUMENTED WAYS TO

SHARE YOUTHS EXPERIENCES RELATED TO MENTAL

HEALTH, PARTICULARLY THROUGH...

• Testimonies

• Arts (writing, videography, visual arts)

• Protests, mobilization, public events

• Social media use

2. PROVIDE TRAINING FOR YOUTHS WITH LIVED EXPE-

RIENCE IN MENTAL HEALTH

• On mental health literacy, addressing among other

concepts the steps of mental health recovery journeys, in-

terpersonal skills, etc.;

• To guide youths’ experiential knowledge sharing (youths

are not equiped and often lack proper training to share

their experiences);

• To pass from lived experience to experiential knowledge,

with a methodic and rigorous approach (with possible al-

liances with participatory research projects with youths at

the research process’s core).

3. TAKE CONCRETE ACTIONS TO PROMOTE YOUTHS

WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES’ PRESENCE IN DECI-

SION-MAKING POSITIONS.

4. REVIEW THE ORGANIZATION OF MENTAL HEALTH

CARE AND SERVICES IN ORDER TO IMPROVE YOUTHS’

QUALITY OF LIFE, AND ASK FOR MORE COMMUNITY

SERVICES.

5. DO MORE PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIONS

STEMMING FROM YOUTHS’ PERPSECTIVE, INCLUDING

VIA DIVERSE IDENTIFIED MEDIUMS.

CROSS-CUTTING PERSPECTIVES *

1. ADOPT A MULTIDISCIPLINARY AND INTERSECTIO-

NAL APPROACH WHICH INCLUDES, AMONG OTHERS,

PEOPLE:

Living with a physical disability •

Having lived or living in homelessness situations •

Living with cognitive impairment •

Living with dysphasia and/or other speech impairments •

Coming from various ethnocultural communities •

Coming from indigenous communities •

2. BREAK DOWN SILOS, BUILD BRIDGES AND

COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS IN AND BETWEEN

FIELDS IN ORDER TO:

Develop and mobilize the community •

Support community empowerment •

Facilitate dialogue between services •

Promote existing initiatives •

3. PROMOTE VALIDATION OF MULTIPLE EXPERIENCES

AND CURIOSITY TOWARDS THESE EXPERIENCES.

* For us, ‘‘ cross-cutting perpsectives ’’ refers to va-

lues, principles and approaches which must be found in

every GMHYG activities (and youth mental health actions as

a whole).

WHAT’S NEXT?FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR FURTHER ACTIONS OF THE GMHYG

12.

EVENT SPONSORS

Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon

Fondation Saison Nouvelle

Jeunes en Action

FACILITATORS

Marie-Philippe Drouin

Fama Tounkara

Melanie Ederer

Samantha Lopez Uri

Ernithe Edmond

Jennie Charbonneau

SOCIAL PROFESSIONAL

Helena Cernosek

ORGANIZATIONAL ALLIES’ REPRESENTANTS (KIOSKS)

Chloé GuinaudiCharles-Albert Bertrand

Emilie RoyMarie-Ève Vautrin-Nadeau

Virginie Claveau

S P E C I A L T H A N K S T O :

ORGANIZATIONS AND PARTNERS WHO TOOK PART IN THE SPRING 2019 CONSULTATIONS

BE FREE Holistic Health and Healing

Centre d’Entraide Émotions

Le Pavois

La Maison des Jeunes de Boischatel

PECH

My Mental Health Matters

L’Astérisk

13.

14.

THE AQRP’S

G R E AT M E N TA L H E A LT H YO U T H G AT H E R I N G2019

A H U G E T H A N K S TO O U R S P O N S O R S , W I T H O U T W H O M T H I S E V E N T

C O U L D N OT H AV E B E E N P O S S I B L E !