Promising practices
PROMISING PRACTICE MAY 2021Landing and Settling Program at Global Gathering Place
Read about a program that recognizes the barriers that may exist for immigrants and refugees in seeking, accessing or receiving mental health supports. As an alternative, through Landing and Settling’s weekly group sessions, clients benefit from social interaction and are guided to build on their inherent resilience while supporting one another in their journeys.
PROMISING PRACTICE APRIL 2021Women Exchanging Life Lessons (WELL) at Global Gathering Place
Through WELL, participants gain a heightened awareness of their health, and start building a referral network of information and resources. Read more to learn how this program works to equip newcomers with practical ways to address challenges early, through building health literacy and strengthening health supports for their own health and the health of their family members.
PROMISING PRACTICE MARCH 2021BrightStart! supports mental health and wellbeing for mothers and preschool-aged children
Learn about the BrightStart! program at The Global Gathering Place that uses structured play, crafts, songs and presentations to interrupt isolation and feelings of being overwhelmed for vulnerable immigrant and refugee mothers and children.
PROMISING PRACTICE FEBRUARY 2021OCASI – The Accessibility Initiative
Learn about The Accessibility Initiative - a national bilingual project that aims to enhance the knowledge and skills of settlement sector professionals so that they are better equipped to serve newcomers with in/visible disabilities and Deaf newcomers.
PROMISING PRACTICE JANUARY 2021National GAR Case Management – Client Support Services
Learn about a national program providing specialized settlement services to meet the complex needs of Government Assisted Refugees in their first 12-24 months of resettlement in Canada.
PROMISING PRACTICE DECEMBER 2020Business Edge Program – Intercultural Skills Lab
Learn about a program that helps internationally educated individuals gain skills for obtaining and retaining careers in Canada, and for establishing meaningful connections to help alleviate feelings of isolation.
PROMISING PRACTICE NOVEMBER 2020
Learn about the various innovative, holistic mental health programs at the Mennonite New Life Centre, and how this organization was able to shift to online service delivery due to COVID-19.
PROMISING PRACTICE OCTOBER 2020Newcomers’ Health and Well-Being program
Learn how Cedar Centre partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association of York Region/South Simcoe and the Welcome Centres of York Region, to implement a program that integrated a trauma-informed component to address the physical and mental health needs of immigrants and refugees.
PROMISING PRACTICE SEPTEMBER 2020Living Well in Times of Self-Isolation online program
Learn how the Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia has developed an online program to support immigrants and refugees during the COVID-19 pandemic and practical tools to manage stress and worry.
PROMISING PRACTICE AUGUST 2020Multicultural Women’s Peer Mentoring Group
Learn about a community connection program at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House that seeks to alleviate social isolation for immigrant and refugee women.
PROMISING PRACTICE JULY 2020Traditional Embroidery as a Settlement Mental Health Modality with Arabic Speaking Refugee Women
Learn how Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services incorporates Expressive Arts, through the medium of traditional embroidery, into settlement programs to support the mental health of Arabic women and other refugee groups.
PROMISING PRACTICE JUNE 2020Newcomer Initiative for Arabic-Speaking Youth
Learn how Kids Help Phone launched a pilot service to provide telephone counselling in Arabic to newcomer youth.
PROMISING PRACTICE MARCH 2020Black Coalition for AIDS prevention
Learn how a coalition was built to provide ethno-specific and culturally competent services to African, Caribbean and Black communities living with or affected by HIV/AIDS, including immigrants and refugees.
PROMISING PRACTICE FEBRUARY 2020
Learn how an organization in Edmonton developed a program to support the mental health of newcomers who have received a positive HIV result.
PROMISING PRACTICE JANUARY 2020Trauma Centered Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
Learn how trauma-sensitive yoga practice can be used as an adjunctive treatment for complex trauma and PTSD. Leila, a certified facilitator, shares evidence supporting this practice and speaks about her experience in using yoga with trauma survivors.
PROMISING PRACTICE DECEMBER 2019
Learn how an organization in Manitoba is leveraging technology to break down isolation and provide settlement services to newcomers.
PROMISING PRACTICE NOVEMBER 2019Women Sharing Heritage Program, Association for New Canadians
A Newfoundland organization is supporting young newcomer women who may have experienced sexual and gender-based violence by breaking the confines of traditional settlement and health settings.
PROMISING PRACTICE OCTOBER 2019Foothills Community Immigrant Services, Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
This Calgary Settlement Worker in Schools (SWIS) is tackling newcomer children's feeling of social isolation and everyone in the community has a role to play.
