Fill out this survey quick survey and help CMHA NS build mental health education programming for Nova Scotians

The Canadian Mental Health Association Nova Scotia Division [CMHA NS] is excited to announce that we are planning to launch a Recovery College in Nova Scotia and we need YOUR help to build the curriculum.

Recovery Colleges are virtual learning centres that offer courses focused on well-being. These courses are developed by subject experts, mental health professionals, and people with lived experience. The course offerings will be shaped by Nova Scotians based on community needs. There are no tests at a recovery college, admission is free and everyone is welcome.

To ensure that we plan and design courses that are relevant and help meet the mental health and wellness needs of Nova Scotians, we are seeking input from the public and professionals through an online survey that will inform our planning and development of courses so that topics are interesting and relevant to our communities.

Fill out this survey quick survey and help us design the Recovery College that’s right for Nova Scotia.

If you have any questions or would like support or assistance with completing this survey, please contact your worker or another CMHA Nova Scotia staff or email [email protected]

About Recovery Colleges

Mental health. It wasn’t a class at school. So where can adults go to learn about mental health and well-being? The answer is “recovery colleges.”

A Recovery College is a place where people seeking support for mental health and well-being work alongside their peers and staff. Recovery Colleges, based on a successful community mental health model from the UK, are focused on personal recovery in mental health and well-being. Recovery Colleges provide an innovative learning space where anyone can access free courses, webinars, workshops, and events to learn, gain new skills, and connect with others in their community.

In Canada, today, recovery colleges offer a new twist on the UK model. Here, these welcoming in-person and virtual learning centres are called by many different names. But whether they are called Recovery College, Well-being Centre or Discovery College, they are all about establishing social connection, hope and optimism, identity, meaning, and empowerment through education.

They are modeled after a traditional college, with its large course offerings and vibrant learning environment. What also sets them apart from traditional educational institutions are the subjects offered. Instead of language literacy, for instance, you might take a course in mental health literacy, or in health and well-being. Courses ranges from topics including ‘Understanding Anxiety’ to ‘Self-Help 101’ as well as cooking classes, walking groups, and mindfulness practices. Even the course curriculum is unique: it is developed by subject experts and mental health professionals, working together with people who have their own experience in personal recovery.

To learn more about Recovery Colleges visit https://cmha.ca/what-we-do/national-programs/recovery-colleges/