This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for personal and professional growth, skill building, and community service. SAYMH trainees will participate in a Mental Health Ambassadors retreat in May, featuring the the Mental Health Commission of Canada’s Mental Health First Aid certification course, overdose response and prevention and naloxone certification, as well as public speaking, system navigation, wellness, cultural safety, and community engagement workshops with experienced professionals.
In total, twenty-five applicants will be selected for this training program. Participants who graduate from the retreat will be making a 6-month commitment to apply their learned skills in community workshops and outreach activities, which will be eligible for a reference letter for volunteer hours recognition.
Requirements for the retreat applicants are as follows. Participants must be:
– Self-identifying as a person of Fijian or Caribbean heritage and South Asian heritage.
– Between the ages of 16 and 29.
– Living in British Columbia.
– Available to attend the full retreat from start to end (no drop-ins, no exceptions).
– Willing to commit to volunteering as a part-time (average 8 to 12 hours per month) ambassador role with SAMHAA and the partner organizations for six months after the retreat.
The SAYMH project is being supported by the BC Government Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions. In order to solidify commitment to the project and help cover a portion of the costs of the training retreat, there will be a subsidized, nominal fee of $50 per trainee for participation (the actual cost to SAMHAA is around $500 per person). Affordability should not be an obstacle. This $50 fee can be waived for any students experiencing financial hardship.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact: Sofia Walia, Project Coordinator, South Asian Mental Health Alliance at [email protected] and Sandhya Prasad of 3E Organization at [email protected]
“When it comes to mental health, we are all on the SAYMH team”
