Clinical health promotion

Inventory of Clinical Health Promotion Activities

The Policy, Education and Health Promotion (PEHP) Division developed an inventory of CAMH health promotion activities. The inventory includes more than 90 examples of health promotion collected through interviews with more than 40 CAMH staff. 

A few highlights of the inventory include:

• Dinosaur Children's Social Skills Program, Child Youth & Family Program: This 22-week health promotion and prevention group program is designed to strengthen children's social skills and emotional competencies such as communicating feelings, managing anger, practicing friendship and problem solving skills. Children's groups are complemented with parent groups and both aim to improve quality of life outcomes such as mental and emotional health. Culture, ethnicity, social environment and personal lifestyle are all considered in order to understand and respond to the health needs of clients and address determinants of health such as lifestyle and culture. Protective factors addressed include coping skills, personal values, resilience, social support and positive life events, whereas risk factors addressed include negative life events and stress. Children and families are involved whenever possible during all stages of program development.
• Community Consumer Survivor Group, NeuroGeriatric Program: This health promotion /recovery initiative is a monthly session for inpatients facilitated by a volunteer survivor. The group helps improve quality of life outcomes such as mental health by reflecting, listening, playing or singing music. The severely cognitively impaired may or may not benefit. The social environment and personal lifestyle of patients while living in the unit is considered in order to address determinants of health such as equity and social skills. Protective factors such as coping skills, resilience, social and community support and risk factors such as chronic conditions, isolation and mental illness are also addressed. The group tries to create a supportive environment and develop some personal skills in order to improve quality of life. Clients are involved in program development by deciding what to talk about and do each month (where possible). Community agencies are an important partner of this group since volunteers are needed.
• Lesbian/Bi Woman's Coping with Trauma Group: Beyond Survival, Women's Program: This health promotion and recovery program focuses on healing from the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. Courage, strength and perseverance is fostered among individuals by focusing on mental and emotional health, and considering the cultural, social and personal context of women's lives. Determinants of health addressed include gender, environment, culture and equity. Protective factors addressed include a sense of security and coping with pain, reducing isolation, community & social support and understanding the myths and facts related to being a lesbian/bi survivor of trauma. Personal skills are developed and a supportive environment is created as part of group therapy, which is an important complement to individual therapy.

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