| The
Opening Doors Project - Train the Trainer Manual
The Opening Doors
Project is a joint initiative between the Canadian Mental
Health Association – Toronto Branch, Access Alliance
Multicultural Health and Community Services, and Across
Boundaries. It is funded by Citizenship and Immigration
Canada.
The Opening Doors Project (TODP) aims to strengthen, foster
and cultivate healthier
Ontario
communities. The project works towards this goal by providing
free, interactive, and experiential peer-led workshops that
address mental health, racism and discrimination within
newcomer communities and communities of mental health
survivors. It looks especially at the impact of migration and
discrimination on the mental health of newcomers and refugees.
The manual is
designed for educators working in a variety of contexts –
whether they be teachers, community workers, healthcare
professionals, or anyone else with an interest in promoting
equity and diversity in their community or workplace. A
popular education approach was used in developing the contents
of this manual, which aims to empower those who are
marginalized to take control of their learning, and to effect
social change. Through a collective and participatory process,
activities were developed to inspire discussion and pool
community/participant knowledge.
We welcome you
to draw from the manual to suit your specific context. At the
same time, we ask that you respect the integrity of the
peer-focused approach that is key to the Opening Doors project
by engaging newcomers with lived experience with mental health
issues in your program delivery. We also welcome you to share
your experiences of these activities with us, in order to
build supportive networks, share ideas, and further enhance
work that engages with the connections between migration,
discrimination and mental health.
To share your
experiences, or to provide us with feedback, click
here
The
Opening Doors Project Train-the-Trainer Manual
Acknowledgments
and Contents
Section 1:
Introduction and Overview
This
section provides an overview of the project, the educational
approach and the train-the-trainer process that the manual
documents. Part B of this section, “How to use this
manual,” includes a syllabus and descriptions of each
section, including objectives for each.
Section 2: Key
Popular Education and Group Activities
This
section contains two popular education (or “popular
theatre”) techniques that were vital to The Opening Doors
Project train-the-trainer sessions, and are also found in our
core workshops. Also included in Section 2 are activities for
group-building, relaxation, and closure. These can be used
throughout a particular session or training process to build
community and encourage self-care.
Section 3:
Anti-Discrimination Activities
We
take an “intersectional” approach to discrimination that
recognizes the ways in which various forms of discrimination
connect and reinforce each other to create unique and complex
experiences. These are systems of discrimination that work
together. The Project focuses especially on the intersections
between racism and mentalism, a form of discrimination towards
people who are labelled
as having mental health issues or “illnesses.”
Section 4:
Re-Settlement Stress Activities
The
term “re-settlement stress” is used to refer to the myriad
stresses associated with the migration process, including
migration, acculturation, and trauma-related stress. Here we
focus on raising awareness around the stresses of
re-settlement, sharing personal stories in order to highlight
self-care strategies, and opening the discussion around the
concept of “culturally appropriate” healthcare.
Section 5: Mental
Health System and Resources Activities
This
unit is geared towards broadening each participant’s
knowledge of the mental health system and resources. As peer
trainers, participants’ lived experiences in accessing
supports from various agencies are a key resource to draw
upon, according to their individual comfort levels. This
expertise can be shared amongst the group to deepen
understandings of the efficacy of services available.
Section 6:
Facilitation Skills Activities
The
facilitation skills activities outlined in this section centre
on nurturing self-awareness and self-care. The emotional
aspects of facilitation are critical to peer trainers, who
must “juggle” the roles of peer, facilitator, and leader
in the workshop setting.
Section 7:
Evaluation Activities
These
can serve as dynamic alternatives to the conventional feedback
form, or can be used in addition to a form. Employing creative
evaluation activities can inspire a greater range of feedback,
speak to diverse learning needs, and encourage accountability.
When done well, they can also serve to build trust,
self-awareness, and ownership within the group.
Appendices
Additional
resources including TODP glossary, factsheets, and so forth.
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