Vermilion Is Being Empowered is working to keep people’s mental health up through the COVID-19 pandemic, and beyond.
The AHS accredited mental health organization, which has provided mental health services in the Lakeland for the last ten years, has spent the summer entirely re-tooling programming so that they can continue to support kids, teens and families mental health.
One of the ways they’re doing this is with their Family Fun Fridays, which sees them drop off packages of surprises of toys, colouring items, books and activities for kids, as well as packages more directed at teens in Grade 9 and up. They’ve also been travelling to various communities for Walk & Talks, which gets people up, moving and talking about their feelings.
VIBE Wellness Manager Pat Calyniuk says they’ve received positive feedback from the community on these programs so far.
“Families just sometimes want a fun activity with their child, and even though there’s a mental health twist to it, they still have fun.”
They held their first Walk & Talk on July 3rd in Vermilion, and they plan to rotate on a schedule. They plan to visit Dewberry and Kitscoty on July 10th, then Mannville on July 11th. Then they will return to Vermillion July 24th and 31st, across from Lakeland Mall and at Vermillion Provincial Park, respectively. There will also be signs up on their walks, with conversation prompts to get people talking.
VIBE is also working digitally as well, moving many of their webinars online. These sessions help promote mental health and coping skills, while also providing games and activities for kids and families. Calyniuk explains that by doing these activities, it can help ground people dealing with stress or anxiety.
“There is some physical activity stuff, and there’s some stuff around nutrition. So if you know you’re physically happy, if you are eating healthy, and if you are able to express your feelings, people tend to just cope better, and that improves people’s overall mental health.”
Calyniuk adds that VIBE is thankful for various community sponsors helping them put together the packages, including many local Family Child Care Services, Lakeland College, the Early Childhood Coalition and the AHS.
More details on VIBE’s mental health services, and a full list of upcoming events, can be found on the VIBE Facebook Page.