Steinbach Arts Council joins suicide prevention, wellness committee

The Steinbach Arts Council has always promoted the idea that art can bring about general overall wellness. Now, the Southeast’s principal arts organization has joined a committee dealing with suicide prevention and wellness where the incorporation of the arts into mental health awareness is part of the journey to enhance one’s mental wellbeing.

“As you know, Steinbach Arts Council loves to create partnerships with organizations in and around the community. At the heart of those partnerships is the belief that we really have a lot of common goals within this community…,”said SAC executive director David Klassen.

“Most recently, we’ve decided to join a community led group that’s focusing on suicide prevention. It’s called Roots of Hope and it is actually through the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). So, the relationship with Southern Health has offered us the opportunity to sit around that table and lend our voice…we can help, let us contribute, and let us help move this important topic forward.”

Roots of Hope is “a multi-site, community-led model that aims to reduce the impact of suicide within communities” through a local lens. It was established and is promoted by MHCC, and in Manitoba it is funded by the Housing, Addictions and Homelessness department. The MHCC provides the framework for the committee, which is spearheaded by Southern Health. Along with SAC and Southern Health, the Steinbach Roots of Hope committee includes local organizations or community members.

“So, we’re looking at increasing conversations in the area about mental wellness and suicide because they are difficult conversations to have. There’s still lots of stigma associated with talking about suicide and mental illness. And so part of Roots of Hope is looking at reducing stigma and increasing help seeking in communities,” said Lindsay Hainsworth, coordinator for Roots of Hope at Southern Health.

Hainsworth said Roots of Hope will expand throughout the Southern Health region.

Today, there are more than 20 Roots of Hope communities across Canada.

According to a Mental Health Commission of Canada’s 2010 study, in any given year, one in five Canadians experience mental illness. Middle-aged men (40 to 60) die by suicide more than anyone, including young people and women, according to a 2019 report by Statistics Canada. The same report stated that suicide accounts for 25 percent of all deaths among 15 to 24 year olds. More than 25 percent of Manitoban adults live with mental illness, according to a Manitoba Centre for Health Policy study.

“And so our partnership, more so specifically with Steinbach Arts Council, is looking at using art as kind of (a) vehicle to have more conversations about our mental wellness, knowing that that can be a protective factor against suicide. As we have more of these conversations and reduce that stigma and shame, people are more likely to reach out for support, whether that’s in their close connections in their life or whether that’s in more so the clinical setting,” said Hainsworth, noting the committee’s work will largely focus on suicide prevention initiatives and overall community wellness.

While things are still in the early planning stages, Klassen said SAC is not providing therapy for mental illness as that would require a degree. He does acknowledge the importance of art therapy for general wellness.

“We’re trying to raise (awareness), I think what we’re trying to do is help people understand that arts can be part of healing and it takes time to develop the programs, and we’re at the very leading edge of that with our organization. And this is why we want to sit around the table where there are others who are talking about it so that if there’s something that we can offer, we are there and ready and willing to help,” said Klassen.

Hainsworth said information will be collected and a plan will be created tentatively by the end of January in order to prepare free art workshops and have those rolled out before the summer.

“The idea is that we’re going to be offering opportunities for people to get together and have art facilitated through Steinbach Arts Council and how we tie that into increasing conversation about mental health and suicide is still being confirmed, but then the idea is that we’ll display those community pieces at Summer in the City,” she said.

“We want to foster a connected community. We want to build awareness. We just want to increase the community dialogue surrounding mental health and suicide. Just really want to promote peer connections. So, yeah, right now we’re just still in that early stage of really understanding what the community is looking for and hoping that we can provide some support,” she added later.

For anyone suffering with suicidal thoughts or looking for mental health support, dial or text the Suicide Crisis Help Line at 988 for help. Operators provide bilingual, trauma-informed, culturally appropriate support. Youth or teens can call the Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or texting CONNECT to 686868. Both lines are open 24 hours.