The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), BC Division recently released its final report on the pilot project “Living Life to the Full,” an evidence-based mental health promotion initiative designed to help people deal with everyday life challenges. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) concepts and techniques are at the core of the eight-session, 12-hour course that ran from April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011. Funding came from the BC Ministry of Health Services through the “Bounce Back: Reclaim Your Health” program at the CMHA, BC Division.
Twenty-three people were trained to deliver the course to 380 participants. Twenty-nine courses were delivered by 19 facilitators, and four facilitators were developed as “train the trainers.” Nine booklets with worksheets were given to course participants, and presentations were made through PowerPoint slides and posters. Booklet titles included “Why Do I Feel So Bad?” and “Are You Strong Enough to Keep Your Temper?”
Courses were delivered for a variety of organizations, which included community centres, public libraries, post-secondary institutions, and immigrant and refugee centres. The participant experience was overall positive.
Eighty-five percent of participants who completed the final evaluation felt the course was “useful to very useful,” and 91 percent stated they would recommend the course to family and friends. Some organizations had wait lists as a result. Facilitators shared many positive experiences resulting from course delivery and reported positive shifts in participants as they began to apply the course materials to their lives. Participants took ownership of their thinking, behaviour, feelings, and physical reactions.
To find out more about “Living Life to the Full,” go to www.llttf.com.
To obtain a copy of the final report on the pilot project, contact Lynn Spence, Provincial Programs Director and Associate Executive Director of CMHA, BC Division at lynn.spence@cmha.bc.ca.