CYCS 3014 Profession Issues lll: Diversity and Human Rights Social Justice Assignment Brooke-Kai Bromfield Lue

Natalie Stelmach "Stomping out Stigma" (SOS) Summit Conferences for Youth

The article that Brooke-Kai Bromfield Lue will be summarizing is "Stomping out Stigma" (SOS) Summit Conferences For Youth written by Bob Heeny a CYW,CYC and Carolyn Watters a research coordinator and psychologist. This article confers that many Canadian children and youth who do have mental health issue struggle with their illness and may not seek the support they need. The main reason as to why many youth struggle or have poor coping mechanisms such as self-medicating through drugs and alcohol is due to the stigma attached to having a mental health concern. According to Childrens Mental Health Ontario, one in five youth struggle with their mental health and 80% of that group will not seek professional help because of stigmatizations. These numbers are far too high and our Canadian adolescents with mental health need help to de-stigmatize mental health so that the feelings they have of shame, guilt, embarrassment, pain and isolation can be replaced with a sense of belonging, love, guidance and support, and that living with mental health does not need to be a secret. In the article "Stomping out Stigma" (SOS) Summit Conferences for Youth, stigma occurs in three different ways: health related stigma, self-stigma, and courtesy stigma. 1) Health related stigma This type of stigma is societal based, due to the negative connotations individuals have, it can impact societal polices a whole.

2) Self-stigma This type of stigma occurs when the children and youth who are combating with mental illness are negatively impacted by this societys views on mental health. This causing the children and youth to have feelings of self-hatred

and low self-esteem and low self-worth misleading them to believe they are not deemed normal and thus do not allocate the support they need.

3) Courtesy stigma This type of stigma occurs when the youths support network such as their family members, care-givers, professionals in the field and other areas intentionally segregate themselves and isolate the youth who has a mental health concern because of the negative social stigmas associated with mental health. These three stigmas lead these youths into depression where they can self-harm, try to commit suicide and feel like they have no one to turn to. According to a youth survey done at Childrens Hospital of Eastern Ontario 75% of youth with a mental health problem will only talk to a friend or no one else. In order to combat these stigmas an approach with a three tiered framework is used. Which I have made into a diagram as shown: Diagram

Education

Protest

Contact

Education is used to inform those in society who believe negative but common myths and stereo types about mental health. Often times those who experience an individual who has a mental health concern and sees them in an acting out behavior may believe or assume that individuals with mental health are always in a state of acting out. Even those in the social service and community field need to be re-educated as their own biases and judgments lead them to believe such myths. This was evident during the youth shelter/mental health workshop facilitated by Youth Links Residential Support Workers. Protest is used to combat mental health stigmas by actively going against what society and popular media views as normal. This can be done through various outlets such as hosting mental health workshops, mental health summits and conferences, having various competitions, websites, brochures and using and other resources to relay the message to society. Contact is one of the most vital components in order to dispel the stigmatization of people with mental health. The notion of having direct contact and listening to an individuals testimony about living with mental health can completely alter and disregard any stigmas, myths, and stereotypes. Contact allows the individual looking in on ones life with mental health to feel more intimate and personal. With this new knowledge and tools anyone can help to de-stigmatize youth living with mental health. As a CYW and working in the field with youth currently coping with mental health, I feel extremely passionate about the fact that these youth are constantly prejudged before even engaging with them.

For example when Im in the community with a youth who has been diagnosed with a mental health issue, sometimes it may be evident to on-lookers. I find it quite ridiculous and unbelievable that those in the surrounding area will move with what looks to be disgust on their faces. It can be extremely hard on the youth to realize that someone who has never met them, who has never spoken to them, dislikes them. As an advocate for youth with mental health I will act as an ally for them by continually supporting them and offer the youths to utilize me as a resource, but also educating those who are unfamiliar with the positivity and resiliency that these youth display each day. Hopefully as I continue in my career I will be able to make significant movement and social change by dispelling mental health stigmas.

References Heeney, B., & Watters, C. (2009). "Stomping out Stigma" (SOS) Summit Conferences For Youth. Relational Child & Youth Care Practice, 22(1), 34-44.