1 The Seniors’ Mental Health Policy Lens in Community Recreation Recreation Newfoundland & Labrador March 5, 2010

About RNL… not for profit not for profit community recreation volunteers / practitioners community recreation volunteers / practitioners promotes value and benefits of recreation promotes value and benefits of recreation information, advocacy, and development of programs and services information, advocacy, and development of programs and services community recreation covers broad range of activities and infrastructure for public good community recreation covers broad range of activities and infrastructure for public good

Why SMHPL… timely – new regional recreation program with rural focus timely – new regional recreation program with rural focus improve community policies and programs that will add quality of life for seniors - now and future improve community policies and programs that will add quality of life for seniors - now and future bring seniors’ perspective to community development bring seniors’ perspective to community development strengthen role of community recreation in building supportive social environments for seniors strengthen role of community recreation in building supportive social environments for seniors enhance capacity to respond to seniors’ needs in rural communities enhance capacity to respond to seniors’ needs in rural communities

Challenges specific to rural life loneliness - family loneliness - family independence - transportation independence - transportation economic - home repair, heat, etc economic - home repair, heat, etc access to health care access to health care

Our province… aging faster than any other province aging faster than any other province median age highest in country median age highest in country 13.9% of population over age 65 years 13.9% of population over age 65 years will increase to 20% in 10 years will increase to 20% in 10 years

Seniors as Percentage of the Total Population, Newfoundland and Labrador

Demographics – 65 years plus Eastport Peninsula Eastport – 29% Eastport – 29% Glovertown – 19% Glovertown – 19% Happy Adventure – 22% Happy Adventure – 22% Salvage – 20% Salvage – 20% Sandringham – 15% Sandringham – 15% Sandy Cove – 32% Sandy Cove – 32% Provincial average – 13.9% Provincial average – 13.9%

The fit with community recreation… promoting positive mental health (mind, spirit, body) promoting positive mental health (mind, spirit, body) identify needs and gaps in services identify needs and gaps in services collaboration in community/region collaboration in community/region create supportive social environments create supportive social environments community recreation is all about building community capacity community recreation is all about building community capacity

The project plan… orientation and training for recreation directors orientation and training for recreation directors test SMHPL in rural area test SMHPL in rural area interpret relevant Provincial strategies interpret relevant Provincial strategies community recreation guide for seniors’ mental health promotion community recreation guide for seniors’ mental health promotion RNL provincial conference RNL provincial conference

The process of applying “the Lens”… consulted related professionals consulted related professionals – seniors groups, health promotion, mental health, etc introduction with 4 regional committees introduction with 4 regional committees one regional workshop one regional workshop

Eastport Peninsula session… preliminary planning time preliminary planning time a 3 hour session with four community organizations a 3 hour session with four community organizations overview, senior demographics, challenges, mental health promotion, role for community overview, senior demographics, challenges, mental health promotion, role for community test run - self assessment with “the Lens” test run - self assessment with “the Lens” a good experience – possibly too ambitious?? a good experience – possibly too ambitious??

What’s been the impact? awareness and sensitivity awareness and sensitivity networking and partnerships networking and partnerships deliverables – pending deliverables – pending tremendous potential – lots of interest tremendous potential – lots of interest

Lessons learned… don’t underestimate stigma associated with mental illness don’t underestimate stigma associated with mental illness make time to build relationships and trust make time to build relationships and trust broad community participation is ambitious broad community participation is ambitious at least full day training for community recreation at least full day training for community recreation make better use of website make better use of website build in supports – terminology, perspective, format build in supports – terminology, perspective, format

Next steps… complete community recreation guide complete community recreation guide conduct additional regional sessions conduct additional regional sessions RNL conference RNL conference build on network of related professionals build on network of related professionals make case for Provincial resources make case for Provincial resources

Value for community recreation… responds to aging population responds to aging population facilitates communications and collaboration facilitates communications and collaboration attention to factors that support positive mental health attention to factors that support positive mental health seniors perspective seniors perspective bring it all home at RNL Conference in June bring it all home at RNL Conference in June

Recreation Newfoundland & Labrador For more information: Gary Milley, Executive Director