Friday, April 30, 2010

National Child and Youth Mental Health Day - May 7, 2010

Join Our Community Celebration!

An opportunity for youth, families and staff to participate in a community mental health and addictions awareness event. Participants will have the opportunity to attend information sessions, speak to our knowledgeable staff and representatives from our community partners as well as participate in discussion panels. The purpose of this event is to educate and create awareness about mental illness and addictions so that we may reduce the stigma associated with these illnesses.

Mental health challenges affect 20% of Canadian Children and Youth... that is over 2 million children and adolescents in Canada. Mental health problems can happen to any young person regardless of age or circumstance.

To register please contact Nicole Fraughton (470-3907) or nicole.fraughton@iwk.nshealth.ca

For more information on this event and events in other provinces, check the national website at:

www.ncymhd.com

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Research Study

Are you 25 years old or less, and have you ever taken an antipsychotic?
                                              OR
Do you have a child between the ages of 11 and 25 who has taken an antipsychotic?

If yes, you may be eligible to participate in a research study looking at how antipsychotic medicaitons are used for children, adolescents, and young adults in Nova Scotia.
This study involves participating once in a 2-hour focus group or a 1- hour personal interview (which can be by telephone or in person) with a researcher.

We would like to hear of your opinions and experiences with antipsychotic medications.

For more information please contact Meredith Whitney 902-473-2982 or via e-mail at whitneym@cdha.nshealth.ca

Public Call for Board Members

Stepping Stone is seeking energetic and passionate individuals from a diverse variety of backgrounds to work on a common goal: the safety, health and well being of former and current sex workers.

We are a user-directed not for profit organization that provides supportive programming and services to former and current sex workers throughout the Halifax Regional Municipality.

We embrace the philosophy that all individuals have the right to self determination; that sex trade workers are entitled to the basic right to safety and access to services regardless of their occupation; and that sex trade workers are entitled to social and economic alternatives to the sex trade.

Stepping Stone offers a range of services and programs including street outreach, drop in centre, crisis counseling, peer support, harm reduction workshops, recreational and educational programs, advocacy, court support and the in house visits of health practitioners.

Board Members bring a diversity of talent, experience, and skills to the table. The active involvement and participation of Board Directors is a vital and necessary component of the Association. In addition to committee work, Board Members commit to attending monthly meetings, held monthly. The monthly commitment for a Board Member can vary, but on an average is between 5-8 hours a month.

Interested persons should submit for consideration a cover letter, describing why they would like to join our team and a copy of their resume.

Applications must be submitted by May 17, 2010 to:

The Stepping Stone Association

Attn: Nominating Committee

c/o Rene Ross, Executive Director

Email: rene@stepping-stone.org

Phone: (902) 404.3931

http://www.steppingstonens.ca/

Friday, April 23, 2010

Celebrate Mental Health Week

Treat yourself to an evening of Music and the Arts for Mental Health in celebration of Mental Health Week 2010.

ECMA Award Winner David Myles joins Loose Garage, Chris Power and the Capital Health Choir, Ski Rock, Rap performer, Carmen and Matt MacKenzie, Anna Quon and Brad Kelln in an evening of Music and the Arts to celebrate Mental Health Week 2010.

Costas Halavrezos is our host for the evening!

The concert runs from 7-9, Friday, May 7, at the Paragon Theatre, named the #1 concert venue in Halifax by readers of The Coast.

Tickets are $10 and selling fast! Call Tricia Dauphinee at 464.4100 to reserve yours today.

Proceeds go to the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Essay Contest

Get Your Essay In! Deadline for the 2010 Student Scholarship Contest is May 28, 2010
In an effort to mitigate the potential harm of gambling for youth, the Nova Scotia Gaming Foundation invites graduating high school students to craft a 1200-word essay that explores the potential risks of Internet gambling for youth.

Essays are due Friday, May 28, 2010.

The top three essayists will receive scholarships towards their postsecondary education: $2,000.00 for 1st place, $1,000.00 for 2nd place, and $500.00 for 3rd place.

For more information, please visit www.nsgamingfoundation.org/pages/Essay-Contest.aspx
or contact Jen Wheatley, NSGF Communications and Events Coordinator at 902.424.2147 or jennifer.wheatley@gov.ns.ca.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Canada Games Centre

CANADA GAMES CENTRE

Board of Directors Recruitment - Volunteer Opportunity

The Halifax Regional Municipality is seeking enthusiastic volunteers, who
reflect the diversity of our changing population, and share an interest and
commitment to recreation and sport to serve on the Board of Directors for
the Canada Games Centre. This group of highly skilled and talented
individuals will oversee the management of the facility ensuring a blend of
community wellness, recreational programming, high performance sport
training and competition.

Get involved. Volunteer to be part of the management team of this
state-of-the-art facility!

For more information and an Application Form:
http://www.halifax.ca/CanadaGamesCentre/Board.html

A Day of Mindfulness

Timothy Walker, Ph.D.
Presents

A Day of Mindfulness
FREE

Sunday May 2, 2010
9:00 to 4:00

At the Parker Reception Room IWK Hospital
Learn & Practice: Meditation, Deep Relaxation, Breath Awareness, Gentle Yoga & Chi Gong

To Register Call (902) 431-4097
or email trw@dharmasunhealing.org

All are Welcome, Bring a Friend

For those who have participated in Mindfulness programs delivered in the Hospitals and Private Sector this will be a chance to review and deepen your practice. For those who are new to Mindfulness there will be ample instruction for beginners. The day will include:
Instruction in Mindfulness Meditation
Guided Mindful Body-Scan-Relaxation
Breath Practice to de-stress
Mindful Walking Meditation
Gentle Yoga (morning & afternoon)
Chi Gong (working with energy)
Loving Kindness Meditation for self and others

Bring:
Your own lunch & water
A yoga matt if you have one (20 mats will be provided)
A pillow and light blanket (if you like)
Loose and comfortable clothing
Your curiosity and inquisitive mind


Mindfulness Cultivates Inner Resources for Healing and Transformation
www.DharmaSunHealing.org

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Decision Tree for Non-Profit Organizations

A new learning tool, an online decision tree, has just been launched by the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia (LISNS). You can access it at www.charitydecisiontree.legalinfo.org/.

It will help non-profit groups who are facing the complex decision of whether to apply for charitable status. Walking the organization through a sequence of questions, the decision tree helps people understand Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requirements and determine whether charitable status would truly benefit their cause, whether they’d be able and willing to meet the regulatory obligations, and whether their application would stand a good chance of approval.

The To Be or Not to Be a Charity Decision Tree, which has been funded by the CRA, is available online or as a CD-ROM to groups across Canada in both official languages. We’re excited — and we hope you will help us spread the word about this innovative new resource through your networks by telling your clients, members or others who may be interested.

For more information on the decision tree, please see the attached press release or contact LISNS at 902-454-2198.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Spring Into Action Challenge

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

March 20th marked the first day of spring! That means it is time for the
Horizons’ Spring Into Action Challenge! There were over 400 participants in
2009, and we would love to see even more people get active and participate
this year!

This year we are looking forward to having more international friends and
colleagues join us for this Spring Into Action challenge! So join us on our
journey, get active and see what people in other parts of the country are
doing to stay fit!

Spring Into Action is an annual challenge that Horizons Community
Development Associates Inc. issues to our colleagues and friends/families.
This year it takes place from April 19th to May 30th. The purpose of the
campaign is for all of us to get physically active, and fit for summer!

Some teams have already registered and if you have emailed us a registration
form, but haven’t received a confirmation email, please do contact us at:
sia@horizonscda.ca

Challenge Details:

· Our challenge runs for six weeks, beginning Monday April 19th and ending
Sunday May 30th, 2010.

· The goal is for members of each team to accumulate at least 30 minutes of
physical activity a day for five days each week.

· 30 minutes of activity can be accumulated throughout a 24- hour period in
a minimum of 10-minute blocks of time.

· There is an opportunity for every team and individual to win a weekly
prize draw as long as they meet their 30 minutes per day for five days a
week.

· The Individual Winner’s Grand Prize is $100 to be used toward anything the
winner would like, related to physical activity (e.g., new running shoes,
swim passes, family outings to the gym).

· All the participants who achieved the goal of 30 minutes a day for five
days each week, for the whole six weeks of the challenge will be entered
into a Grand Prize draw at the end of the Challenge!

· As a Team prize, Horizons Community Development Associates Inc. will make
a $150 donation (in the winning Team’s name) to a local sport/recreation
fund for kids, chosen by the Team with the greatest proportion of
participants who meet our weekly goal for the duration of the Challenge.


Activity Ideas:

Light Effort: Light walking, Gardening, Stretching, Frisbee, Housework

Moderate: Housework, Brisk walking, Yard Work, Swimming, Dancing, Golfing

Vigorous: Jogging, Soccer, Basketball, Fast Biking, Ultimate Frisbee

So get your household and/or co-workers together to make a team (because you
are going to be out and about more, we are suggesting a maximum of 10-15
people per team), grab your sneakers, get outside, enjoy the fresh air, have
fun, and of course… SPRING Into Action!

To register go to www.horizonscda.ca and download and complete the
registration form posted on our website. Then email them to Josephine at
sia@horizonscda.ca or fax: 1-902-864-5249.

Deadline for registrations is April 14th 2010.

Check us out on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=139535450482#/pages/Horizons-Spring-I
nto-Action/139535450482

For more information please contact sia@horizonscda.ca

Hope to hear from you soon!