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A CURA Demonstration Project

Background

"Taking Culture Seriously in Community Mental Health" is a 5-year (2005-2009) Community University Research Alliance (CURA) bringing together over 40 diverse university and community partners in the Toronto and Waterloo regions of Ontario. The purpose of this research collaborative is to explore, develop, pilot and evaluate how best to provide community-based mental health services and supports that will be effective for people from culturally diverse backgrounds. The methodological framework of this project is that of Participatory Action Research (PAR). As a form of applied research which combines the two traditions of participatory research and action research, the values of PAR are strongly rooted in democracy, equality, liberation and change.  There are five main assumptions that underlie PAR which influence all components of the research process.  These five assumptions are (1) empowerment, (2) building supportive relationships, (3) social change/social action, (4) ongoing, reciprocal education, and (5) respect for/inclusion of diversity (Ochocka & Janzen, 2007).  Please visit www.takingcultureseriouslycura.ca to learn more about the project.  To view the flyer, please click here.

The project's three phases (each using a PAR approach) are the following: (1) exploring diverse conceptualizations of mental health problems and practice, (2) developing culturally effective practice, and (3) evaluating demonstration projects. While 5 cultural linguistic communities are actively involved (Somali, Sikh Punjabi, Polish, Mandarin, Spanish Latin American), one of the project's goals is to emphasize the transferability of knowledge gained to all of multicultural Canada.  Now in its third and final phase, the focus of the CURA project is on developing, implementing and evaluating innovative demonstration projects.  For current news and findings, please visit www.takingcultureseriouslycura.ca/reports.

Objectives
The Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) is offering 14 interactive day-long workshops across Ontario to mobilize the knowledge gained through the CURA project.

Three stakeholder groups are engaged as leaders for change in their organizations and communities:

• Leaders from mental health organizations

• Leaders from local cultural linguistic communities

• Leaders from immigrant services

These workshops will:

• INSPIRE participants to look at the mental health system through the eyes of other cultural communities;

• EDUCATE participants on the research on how the mental health system and cultural communities can come together to strengthen mental health services;

• EQUIP participants with take-home tools for not only improving practice, but for changing organizations and the mental health system to be more responsive to the needs of cultural communities.

Sponsored by the Multicultural Program of Citizenship and Immigration Canada, these workshops are a partnership between the Centre for Community Based Research and Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN).

For more information on this project, please contact Tanya Darisi at tanya@communitybasedresearch.ca