Raising the Roof
Developing a Youth Sexuality Education Program while Adopting a Mental Health Promotion Approach

The Cape Breton Wellness Centre
University College of Cape Breton
1999
Funded by: Health Canada

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Raising the Roof
Developing a Youth Sexuality Education Program while Adopting a Mental Health Promotion Approach

(332 KB) in PDF Format

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Introduction

• The Project
• The Goal
• History of the Project 

Mental Health Promotion

Sexual and Reproductive Health

Profiles

• Cape Breton Situation
• Whitney Pier Youth Club
• Advisory Committee
• Coordinator
• Cape Breton Wellness Centre

Needs Assessment Phase

• Consultation with Youth
• Project Components and Methods

Implementation

• Sexuality Education Sessions
• Information Blitz
• Journal Writing
• Popular Theatre
• Mental Health Promotion

Evaluation

• Self-Report and Feedback
• Evaluating Changes in Mental Health Status
• Overall Evaluation
• Barriers
• Two Month Post Program Follow-Up

Summary and Conclusion

References

Bibliography

Appendices

• A    Advisory Group: Terms of Reference
• B    Program Coordinator: Job Description
• C    Workplans for Sexuality Education Sessions
• D    Evaluation Strategy
• E    Evaluation Questions for Sexuality Education Sessions
• F    Evaluation Questions on Other Program Components
• G    Mental Health Promotion
• H    Mental Health Status: Self-Esteem and Sense of Mastery
• I    Work Plan

Acknowledgments

The achievements and goal of this project would not have been realized without the contribution of many individuals.

Special recognition goes to Health Canada's Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit, which funded this project, and the manager of the unit, Christine Reissmann. We would also like to thank Natacha Joubert of the Mental Health Promotion Unit. These two individuals offered support, guidance and advice.

We would also like to acknowledge with gratitude the support and guidance of our own advisory committee. Special thanks goes to Janet Bickerton of the Cape Breton Wellness Centre, who managed the project with professionalism and passion; Cathie Penny of Planned Parenthood Cape Breton, who generously shared information and advice; Debra Walsh of the AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton and Sharp Advice Needle Exchange, for her inspiration and experience; Gordie Gosse, director of the Whitney Pier Youth Club, for opening the doors of the club to us, supporting the project and sharing his knowledge and expertise with us; Cathy MacDougall of the Gambling Helpline, for her expertise in mental health promotion; and Jane Spencer and Lori Hodder of Public Health Eastern Region, for sharing many of the educational materials used throughout the project.

Thanks also to Bernadette Gillis Collier of CanScribe for helping us create and edit our final report. Your background and skills were just what we needed.

We cannot say enough about our project coordinator. The advisory committee was extremely fortunate to find the unique combination of strengths that is Lynn Knott.  She was an innovative and skilled facilitator, as well as a good friend to and passionate advocate on behalf of all the youth involved in the project. In the words of one participant, "Lynn is the greatest."

Of course, our biggest 'Thank You!' goes to the youth of the Whitney Pier Youth Club for their enthusiastic participation in the project. They knew what they wanted and went out and got it. They are the experts!

Introduction

The Project

In the early months of 1999, a unique education program was carried out at the Whitney Pier Youth Club in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The approach of the program was twofold in nature. Obviously the principal aim of the program was to educate the youth involved about their sexuality and to encourage healthier choices and practices in this area. A second consideration was to design a project that would adopt and demonstrate the principles of mental health promotion, and evaluate whether or not the mental health promotion approach would enhance the effectiveness of the sexuality education.

The Goal

To develop a sexuality education model while adopting the mental health promotion approach.

History of the Project

The Cape Breton Wellness Centre initiated discussions with an ad hoc community group about the possibility of a mental health promotion project for industrial Cape Breton as early as September 1997. The community group included representatives from government and grassroots organizations who shared an interest in this emerging perspective in mental health.

At the same time, the Wellness Centre was hearing from the staff at local youth centres that there was a need for effective sexuality education among teens. Although attempts had been made to address this need, it was felt that the traditional guest lecturer approach had not been effective. The young people who had attended the sessions were bored and the information had not significantly changed their behaviour. The staff from the youth centres emphasized that the issues relating to responsible sexuality were intimately connected with a young person's self-esteem, sense of worth and decision-making abilities, and were potentially complicated by alcohol and drug abuse. They believed that in order to be successful, any new programs in sexuality education would have to be creative and, above all, participatory in nature. It was these considerations that led the Wellness Centre to recommend that the ad hoc committee make the creation of a sexuality education program its mental health promotion project.

The Cape Breton Wellness Centre convened a meeting of community stakeholders in July, 1998. This group included members from the previous ad hoc committee as well as representatives from: the Canadian Mental Health Association, Public Health Services, Planned Parenthood Cape Breton, AIDS Coalition of Cape Breton, Sharp Advice Needle Exchange, the Department of Community Services and the directors of the Whitney Pier Youth Club and the Sydney Kinsmen Youth Centre Society.  The new committee was excited about the project. It was agreed that the members from the various organizations would act as resource persons as the project unfolded, but a smaller working group would actually guide the project, consulting with the others as the need arose. Youth would be involved in all aspects of the design, implementation and evaluation of the program.

A proposal was developed by the Cape Breton Wellness Centre and presented to both the Mental Health Promotion and Sexual and Reproductive Health Units of Health Canada. The proposed project would utilize the mental health promotion approach in the design and delivery of a sexuality education program. Representatives from both units were enthusiastic, and the program was ultimately funded by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Unit.

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Raising the Roof: Developing a Youth Sexuality Education Program while Adopting a Mental Health Promotion Approach

(332 KB) in PDF Format
(How to download PDF documents)

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Ce document est aussi offert en français sous le titre: Faire sauter le plafond: l'élaboration d'un programme d'éducation sexuelle qui incorpore la promotion de la santé mentale

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Health Canada.