Since it’s last update, IWSO’s Healthy Directions program has had a Summer full of momentum, and a Fall wind-down period with an impactful finish. Funded by Shopper’s Foundation for Women’s Health, the Healthy Directions program began in November 2024 and ran for a one-year period until November 2025. Designed to increase access to mental health and substance use health services and supports for immigrant and racialized women, the early stages of the program were characterized by research and information gathering before expanding to offer direct client service including mental health needs assessments and systems navigation as well as mental health education workshops and peer support group meetings.

Following the early summer success of the Women’s Health Fair back in June, Healthy Directions leveraged that momentum and the energy of July and August to focus on advancement of it’s peer support group, Sisterhood Circle, which saw a record number of participation, as well as offering an updated and expanded version of the “Beyond Anxiety” workshop series.

Back by popular demand, Healthy Directions facilitated it’s “Beyond Anxiety” mental health education and peer support workshop series over the summer months, now being referred to as Beyond Anxiety 2.0. Having expanded to include additional topics, the sessions continued to address identifying anxiety and learning healthy coping skills, as well as incorporating development of resiliency skills, healthy self-esteem, and featured a final debrief session. Beyond Anxiety 2.0 welcomed over 45 participants during the summer months workshop series. Healthy Directions likewise kept up it’s mental health workshop collaborations by facilitating it’s Mental Health & Navigating the Mental Health System in Ottawa, for IWSO’s Language Interpretation Services Department in August, the Anxiety, Mental Health, and Healthy Coping Skills workshop for the Client Accompaniment Program’s volunteer cohort training session in September, and by facilitating a 2-part workshop series on “Grief & Healthy Coping Skills” in collaboration with Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre’s Multicultural Seniors Program earlier in the summer months.

Since it’s inception, Sisterhood Circle has welcomed over 130 participants or “Sisters” who have engaged in this peer-led, drop-in style support group to increase self-esteem and self-confidence, empowerment, and social connection. July sessions featured “Coffee & Convos” where women were able to share experiences and advice, as well as painting sessions where Sisters worked on painting canvasses and colouring mindfulness mandalas. August sessions focussed on incorporating movement and mindfulness for “Active August” which featured yoga sessions led by a volunteer yoga instructor as well as peaceful and sunny “Canal Walks” that led us through the Glebe, Patterson Park, and along the historic Rideau Canal. Through these activities, women were able to cultivate a sense of groundedness, learnt tangible relaxation skills, and soaked up the sun in addition to strengthening the bonds of sisterhood and friendship that had been growing since the group’s beginning in early Spring. Following the summer sun, Sisterhood Circle continued to go strong into September and through October with the same familiar Sisters returning time and again as well as welcoming new faces following the back-to-school schedule changes. Rainy days gave us opportunities to stay in and work on colouring our mindfulness mandalas or painting canvasses, while better weather allowed us to continue with our Canal Walks where we could appreciate the blazing Autumn sun illuminating the awe-inspiring colours of falling leaves. 

Behind the scenes of facilitating Sisterhood Circle and Beyond Anxiety 2.0, Healthy Directions had likewise been collaborating with a local mental health professional with expertise in adapting mental health scales and assessments to further nuance, update, and revise the culturally responsive suicide risk assessment tool that had been developed during early phases of the program and put into use by IWSO’s Crisis & Counselling Department back in January. Following two rounds of clinical peer review and consultant feedback, the tool was fully revised and updated in mid-October and was presented to the team alongside a corresponding competency and skills-based training workshop. 

It has been both a pleasure and a privilege to have had the opportunity to coordinate the Healthy Directions program, to get to know all the clients who have engaged with the program and who have trusted me with their stories, and to be supported by such an amazing team of colleagues here at IWSO. Developing and executing the program has been an adventure and a huge opportunity for learning and growth both personally and professionally. I look forward to further opportunities and keeping the spirit of Healthy Directions and Sisterhood Circle alive going forward!