Connecting the Community In Mental Health Awareness & Intervention Initiatives

Minds Connected is an online network connecting community members to evidence-informed interventions, key resources, and a community of local professionals working to improve mental health.

The County of Lambton is a municipality in the southwestern tip of Ontario, consisting of 11 municipalities, with 120,000 residents. Lambton Public Health has seen a need for growing awareness of mental health and mental illness nationally, provincially and locally.

The most vulnerable people experience the greatest stigma and worse baseline mental health. This is particularly true for young people between 15 and 24 years of age. Although better than the Ontario average, Lambton County residents are not confident enough in the ability of our institutions and organizations to address mental health needs. They have a strong foundation of mental wellbeing, but there is more that can be done to improve and maintain positive mental health for everyone in Lambton County.

Minds Connected required a strategy to bring mental health information and awareness to the community. The unique website design focussed on the delivery of health information at a high volume, organized around interventions, resources, frequently asked questions and community services.

Lambton County reports 70% excellent or very good mental health, 90% have a high level of resiliency, 85% are confident they know where to find information about mental health or mental illness, 21% have ever been diagnosed with a mental illness. The goal of the site is to Increase awareness of mental health services, individual knowledge and skills for mental health.

Minds Connected aims to decrease perceived mental health stigma and discrimination. Any employer or educator who wants to improve mental health in their workplace or school can sign up. Users can implement a new program or share information to the community through the Minds Connected staff.

Minds Connected supports educators and staff to implement an intervention and evaluate its impact. Professionals are able to provided feedback for other employers and educators who may be interested interested in a specific intervention.

The architecture was designed to feature mental health programs and resources for schools, workplaces and the whole of the Lambton County community. The website displays a database of community services for those who are in need of mental health services. Minds Connected was built with high level architecture that successfully manages Lambton County, Lambton Public Health, a Professionals Portal and Minds Connected all from one content management system.