Do You Mind? is a community mental health leadership program for gender and sexual minority youth interested in being mental health-savvy knowledge holders and advocates. Throughout Do You Mind?, participants gain the health literacy, practical skills, and community networks needed to identify and collectively respond to the systemic and structural challenges impacting their health and that of their peers.
Over a range of sessions, participants complete a series of interactive workshops with other community members as well as community leaders to develop a critical understanding of gender and sexual minority health and learn practical strategies for health promotion including storytelling, listening, and community care. Upon completion of core training, Do You Mind? provides participants with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills by developing their own community mental health promotion projects in partnership with local organizations in their cities/regions.
This project was piloted in 2020 by CBRC, in partnership with YouthCO in Vancouver, the EMHC in Edmonton and The Youth Project in Halifax, and with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Mental Health Innovation Fund. CBRC continues to work closely with these partners to evaluate and optimize the impact of Do You Mind? on participants and the organizations that run the program, ensuring that it best responds to the needs of today’s generation of community mental health leaders.
To learn more about this program, find a delivery partner near you, and for more resources, please visit Do You Mind? or contact Fowzia Huda ([email protected]).