The Strategy for Community Mental Health’s Training Hub
The Strategy for Community Mental Health has developed a training hub to empower the people of Edmonton and area with the knowledge they need to look after the wellness of themselves and others. The training hub has evolved from some excellent pieces of work that have already been done in the city. 11ofus was part of Living Hope, the city's suicide prevention plan, which maintained a list of sponsored training that supported suicide prevention. The Community Mental Health Action Plan also developed a training framework for service providers to help them learn the skills they need to support the people they engage with. The training hub combines all of this into one accessible location. It highlights sessions sponsored by the City of Edmonton, offered free of charge by local organizations, as well as free and paid sessions from all over the province, country, and world. This curated training database is designed to help support people in Edmonton across many different areas of wellness, whether it be mental health, suicide prevention, basic needs or parenting support, or learning how to engage with others in a more informed and sensitive way, there's a training for everyone. There are in-person and online options available at all price points. These sessions focus on trauma-informed approaches and equitable strategies that support people from all walks of life and reflect the strengths of various cultures.
It is our hope that this list will continue to grow, and that the people of Edmonton will never have to wonder if there is training out there for what they are looking for. That when they have questions, they will be able to find answers. That when they are struggling, they can have hope that there is someone out there to support them. Most importantly, that Edmontonians know they are part of a community. And really, a part of many communities. This could look like taking a local session offered by a community champion who lives in your neighbourhood, a large scale rollout of training across the province, or a session offered online by someone in a different country who just wants to see the world become a better place. When you participate in training, you become a part of something more. You join a movement of people who are willing to put in the effort to better themselves and work towards improving how they show up in the world. When we attend training we replace divisiveness with thoughtfulness, hostility with understanding, and survival mode with a community mindset. This training hub is designed to bring people together, so that we can get back to what matters in community. Loving and supporting each other, learning how to heal, and how to look after one another during difficult times.
Lastly, if you are out there in the community offering training that supports people in living better lives, and you think your work fits under the umbrella of community mental health, please reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.