About Minds Connected

About Minds Connected

Why Minds Connected

Awareness about mental health is just the beginning

Minds Connected is a resource for individuals & families, organizations, and our community as a whole to take steps toward improving mental health in their own ways. In 2018 Lambton County residents indicated they are generally mentally healthy, resilient and have access to a number of resources that foster good mental health. And yet, some continue to struggle, especially with impacts of the pandemic. Minds Connected is one tool to help improve the promotion of good mental health and support those in search of additional resources.

37%

of people 18-34 report excellent or very good mental health compared to 59% of people overall

53%

of parents think that their child’s school would have the resources to help if they had concerns about their child’s mental health

54%

of adults are comfortable talking to their employer about their mental health

63%

of adults would first turn to their primary care provider for mental health supports or services

Sources: 2018 Lambton Mental Health Profile,
Lambton Public Health COVID-19 Community Health Survey

The Goals of Minds Connected

Minds Connected uses a whole-of-community, multi-sectoral approach to promote mental health and to improve access to mental health services through an internet-based platform.

Our goals include:

For Individuals & Families

  • Increase self-reported mental wellbeing
  • Increase individual knowledge and skills for mental health
  • Decrease perceived mental health stigma and discrimination
  • Increase access and appropriate use of mental health services

For Organizations

  • Increase use of evidence-informed interventions for mental health
  • Increase evidence for effectiveness of interventions for mental health
  • Build capacity for mental health action
  • Improve coordination of mental health services

For Communities

  • Increase public awareness of mental health services
  • Continue to build supportive community culture for mental health
  • Increase public and community awareness of interventions implemented and their impact
  • Increase action for mental health promotion across all community settings

In Partnership With

Lambton Public Health
St. Clair Child & Youth Services
Canadian Mental Health Association, Lambton Kent
Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership
Bluewater Health
Lambton Kent District School Board
St Clair Catholic District School Board
Lambton College
Family Counselling Centre
Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Minds Connected?

Minds Connected is an online resource that connects you to tips, tools, evidence-based best practices, and direct support for promoting mental health, right here in Lambton.

Who should use Minds Connected?

The website focuses on 4 key topics: 
– What we know about mental health in Lambton County.
– How you and your loved ones can get help with mental health and substance use in Lambton County.
– Evidence-based resources for workplaces to promote good mental health for staff.
– Evidence-based resources for schools to promote good mental health for students.

How were the programs chosen to be included on this website?

All interventions come from a systematic literature search and review of best practices databases from Canada and the US for universal mental health interventions that had been shown through rigorous research to improve outcomes.  Interventions were further identified based on a program’s availability or accessibility and in the case of school boards, consultation with Mental Health Leads. If you want access to the full list of interventions from the review and databases, contact us!

How can I take action on mental health in Lambton with Minds Connected? 

There are three ways that you can become a champion for mental health in Lambton County through Minds Connected are: 

1. Learn how someone can get help for mental health or substance use in Lambton. Talk to those around you about how someone can get help. 

2. Learn about mental health promotion activities at your workplace or organization and get involved in them. If there aren’t any, try our COMPASS worksheet to help you start the conversation.  

3.  Learn about mental health promotion activities at your school. Get involved by visiting School Mental Health Ontario or learning about your Board’s Mental Health & Addictions Action Plan. These small steps can make big changes in your school to welcome, include, understand, and promote mental health.

Don’t forget to connect with us to help plan, learn more, or let us know how your actions went.