GRANT RECIPIENTS
The Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia administers a Community Grants Program to support initiatives throughout the province that provide hope and eradicate stigma surrounding mental illness and addiction.
COMMUNITY GRANTS 2019-2020
(The following organizations have received funding from the first round of Community Grants for April 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020. )
11th Annual Ray of Hope Retreat
Ray of Hope Retreat Society
This grant provides an annual retreat created to provide a safe, nurturing environment for women in recovery to share their experiences, strength and hope with one another. It’s a place where they can look forward to re-connecting with old friends and meeting new ones each year.
Working Well with Mental Illness
Dalhousie University
The Inclusive by Design Research Lab has developed a web-based Job Access Mobile application (JAM app) following two years of consultation. This grant will offer accommodations to workers with mental illness in seven different Nova Scotia locations. The JAM app will be used as an employment, retention and advocacy tool for employees with mental illness and their employers. The app will be made freely and widely available across the province.
Rooting the Farm & Spreading the Model
Self-Help Connection (website)
This grant will allow the Common Roots Urban Farm – Dartmouth (previously known as Back To Our Roots Urban Farm) to continue offering skills-training, educational workshops, and new this year, employ-ability programming! Gardening in a community atmosphere has significant mental health benefits. Inpatients at the Nova Scotia Hospital, community organizations and individuals within the area all get their hands dirty and harvest the results here.
LakeCity Pre-Employment Peer Support Program
LakeCity Employment Services (website)
This program will operate as a launch pad toward employment, learning opportunities, relationship-building and integration for persons 19 years of age and older who are living with mental illness. It offers a client-centered, customized approach to achieving individual goals.
Kidz Connect
Family SOS (website)
This program addresses mental health and online safety for children and youth in the HRM. The program facilitator visits schools with the goal of proactively teaching awareness and prevention of mental health problems at a young age. It also focuses on self-care and the use of technology.
Parent Resource Lending Library
Inverness Family of Schools
This grant will develop a library of resources for parents aimed at helping them learn about mental health problems that are prevalent at various ages and stages. Each of the resources will be stored on six iPads, categorized to make them user-friendly. The iPads will be available for parents to borrow through the Patient Navigator.
Life Skills Program
John Howard Society of Nova Scotia (website)
This grant includes the Anger Management & Emotional Intelligence Program and the Healthy Relations Program. Both of these programs foster a sense of community and belonging while teaching mental health skills and well-being.
LOVE Leadership Training & Outreach
LOVE NS (website)
This grant provides youth who have experienced violence and mental health problems with the skills and knowledge they need to become leaders. The teaching aims to create a team of trained LOVE Youth Leaders who are able to educate their peers, communities and the broader public about youth culture, violence prevention and other issues of importance to them.
The Art of Friendship
CMHA Nova Scotia (website)
This grant provides a community resiliency-based peer support pilot project that will be offered in three Nova Scotia communities. The projects will provide a safe, caring and supportive environment where youth and adults can enhance their health and well-being by reducing social isolation, building self-awareness, gaining confidence and developing social and emotional skills to introduce greater joy, trust and positive management of their mental health and well-being.
TNT (Then, Now and Tomorrow)
Chester Municipal Heritage Society (website)
This grant teaches project-based learning to youth and seniors by bringing them together to plan and create an online presence comparing life ‘then’ to life ‘now’. This will be in the form of a video and online postings including opinions on how tomorrow might be better if we are to study the past. The project hopes to engage youth in a medium they understand to tackle the stereotypes often connected with aging and dementia.
Expanding the ICAN Adult Anxiety Program to Nova Scotia
Strongest Families Institute (website)
This pilot project focuses on Nova Scotians between the ages of 18-30 who are significantly impacted by anxiety and depression. It’s an evidence-based distance telephone coaching service, created right here in Nova Scotia. ICAN is currently operating in Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Audience Response System
CMHA Kings County (website)
This grant will be used to purchase an audience response system to display live results during weekly Resource Management Peer Support Group sessions. It will allow full participation at key points, especially by those new to the group or experiencing anxiety. It will also be shared with other community organizations within the geographic area.