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QSOS Outreach Methods
Outreach Methods and Issues
QSOS' has had extensive experience with outreach locally
and provincially. We are interested in identifying barriers
and possibilities with regards to future efforts, as outreach
is essential to community development, system evaluation and
more representative partnerships.
Consultation Design
We included "open" community consultation sessions
into the consultation design as well as one-on-one "interviews"
with isolated people. Jenny Carver introduced an advisory
"reference" group, to enable the Task Force to consult
with people directly over the summer. Sessions in which people
were "invited" to participate was part of the original
plan. With board involvement, we immediately identified a
list of diversities and experiences we felt should be included
in our outreach efforts to the community.
Resources and Outreach Process
With 2 months and a $15,000 budget (one casual part time
staff, volunteer and trainee assistance, phone, postage, food
and transportation expenses), we launched our consultation
with an email poster campaign. We contacted over 200 agencies
using the Blue Book, QSOS and Ministry contacts to get the
word out to our community members. Some of these agencies
did not provide mental health services primarily. Our materials
encouraged people who had concurrent "related system"
experience to take part in the discussions on mental health
reform. An email address, feedback@qsos.ca, was created to
receive input and several individuals sent in typed files.
First Response
Far from being swamped with interest, a few recipients acknowledged
our email. We had one to two weeks for word of mouth to spread,
and attendance in our "open" sessions was substantial
for a community mental health event. These meetings provided
a space for people to consider the issues together, ask questions
about "On The Way to Making It Happen", and gave
participants a reason to involve themselves further (roughly
half of them did so). Full participation in the "invitational"
meetings was largely generated through phone and some personal
outreach.
System Hum
Other stakeholders (mostly professionals and non-health agencies)
were our best approach to members of our community who don't
frequent consumer/survivor agencies. We can't be sure how
agencies dealt with our messages. We had no time to appeal
or make confirmations about providing notice and encouraging
discussions amongst clients. There were a handful of responses
and queries, some of which sought direction for professional
or family member involvement.
Disparity of Values
One professional agency showed exceptional sensitivity and
encouraged their membership to come forward. Their staff provided
a circuit of contacts without seeking personal participation.
Another two agencies insisted on exclusive consultations for
their clients, citing the importance of their agencies or
service models, the needs of their clients, and needing to
balance the presumed overrepresentation of militant activists
which were referred to as "consumer/survivors".
This provided a view of some educational needs.
Hearing Ourselves Speak: A Diversity
of Voices
Groups we focused on in getting feedback from
people who have experienced the menatal health system:
a) Significantly isolated and underserved populations
including seniors (or "psychogeriatric"), people in the forensic
psychiatry and justice systems, people isolated, distant or
not using services.
b) Underrepresented groups including refugees
and recent immigrants, youth, women, people of colour, people
from the Transgendered, Transsexual, Bi-sexual, Gay and Lesbian
communities.
c) People with related issues including people
with "personality" diagnoses who are underserved, people with
disabilities and a variety of challenges, people with dual
diagnoses including addictions, people diagnosed with autism,
Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Epilepsy, Tourettes.
d) Overarching issues identified by the Task
Force to inform selection of people in all above groups: use
of shelters and drop-ins, low income, financial management
issues, intensive support arrangements, case management experience.
Chart 1a: Attendance and Diversity at Open
Sessions
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By Location
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Attendance
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Evaluation of Consultation and Consultants
|
Number of Applications to Invite Only Sessions
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Diversity (see a, b, c, d, above)
|
| |
|
Scarborough
|
60
|
7.44
|
4
|
bcd/ bcd/ cd/ d
|
|
South East TO
|
6
|
d/ abcd/ cd/ cd/ bcd/ d
|
|
South Centr TO
|
4
|
bd/ bcd/ cd/ cd
|
|
South West TO
|
4
|
bcd/ cd/ cd/ d
|
|
North York
|
5
|
bd/ d/ d/ bcd/ d
|
|
Mississauga
|
8
|
8.38
|
3
|
cd/ d/ d
|
|
Brampton
|
25
|
7.43
|
8
2
|
cd/ cd/ d/ d/ bcd/ bd/ d/ d
|
|
Caledon
|
d/ d/
|
|
TOTAL
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93 attendees
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7.54/10
(36 responses)
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36 applications
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1 forensic
11 people of colour
18 with related issues
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Chart 1b: After the open sessions:
Results of email, phone and personal outreach until April
29.
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Location
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Open Session Attendance
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Applications for Invite-Only Sessions
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Numbers Confirmed for Invitational Sessions
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Attendees at Invitationals
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Diversity of Applications (not yet fully tabulated)
|
|
|
|
Scarborough
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60
|
9
|
3
|
3
|
bcd/ bcd/ cd/ d/ bd/
|
|
South East TO
|
12
|
10
|
9
|
d/ abcd/ cd/ cd/ bcd/ d/ bcd/ cd/ d/ cd/ d/ acd
|
|
South Centr TO
|
13
|
10
|
8
|
bd/ bcd/ cd/ cd/ cd/ cd/ cd/ cd/ d/ bcd/ d/ bd
|
|
South West TO
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18
|
10
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7
|
bcd/ cd/ d/ bcd/ bcd/ d/ bcd/ cd/ cd/ bcd/ cd/ cd/
cd/ cd/ d/ d/ bcd/ cd
|
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North York
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8
|
7
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7 (1 unexpected)
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bd/ d/ d/ bcd/ d/ cd/ cd/ d/ d
|
|
Mississauga
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8
|
14
|
7
|
6
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cd/ d/ d / cd/ cd/ cd/ bcd/ cd/ d/ d/ d/ d/ d/ d
|
|
Brampton
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25
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7
5
|
7
3
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6 (1 unexpected)
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cd/ cd/ d/ d/ bcd/ bd/ d/ d
|
|
Caledon
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3
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cd/ d/ d/ (cd/ cd/)
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TOTAL
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93 Attendees (Open)
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86 Applied
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56 Confirmed
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49 Attendees (Invites)
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home / recovery
/ rights / readings
/ links / feedback
/ QSOS
/ QSPC archive
|
Toronto-Peel
Mental Health Implementation Task Force Report