By – Kendall Worth!
I have written extensively in the past about social prescribing; thinking we needed that in order to have some impact on social isolation. We are working on setting up an organization to lessen social isolation but it will not be from social prescribing by the medical system but likely self-identification. After talking about it for some months I recently had to let people know that it is going to take possibly a length of time -- months to a year -- to get a finalized proposal and try to find funding. There is also a bit of delay because the first person I was working on this project with, has had to step down. However, the good news is two new people have stepped up to take over that role and we are moving forward.
While most welfare recipients I am in touch with agreed that they have dealt with these social isolation issues for years, and lived with the fact that DCS seems to encourage it. Some people tell me “This means our only our only social contacts are people we talk to when we stand in line at food-banks and/or eat/attend the soup-kitchens”. They agreed we are just have to deal with this for a little while longer. A couple of people suggested that maybe Bill C22 will get passed and provide enough to live on... provided we qualify of course. If it pays better than income assistance (and that is what we are hoping) some of us, might have more money for getting out and socializing with people.
https://visiblenetworklabs.com/2022/03/03/social-isolation-vs-loneliness/
In the meantime the person I did not name, that I interviewed for my June 13th 2022 and June 22nd 2022 posts did not take the news so well. He was looking forward to gaining social support outside of his doctor and the professionals he sees for counselling. He also reported that as of a couple of months ago he stopped going to the PAUSE Clinic for Counselling. He told me: “Kendall during my last 4 appointments with PAUSE, The clinician has been encouraging me take medication for depression and anxiety. This forceful “encouragement” trying to make you take meds also happens at the QEII ER.
Just like the mental health professionals at the QE#2 Emerg, the last 4 appointments at PAUSE, the clinician behaved like she did not understand that meds will not work to bring friends or social contacts into my life. However, that is not the only reason why I stopped going to PAUSE. My other reason is because I figured that if no social program or social group is going to be available through the North End Community Health Clinic or PAUSE, why bother?”
I asked – did you ever find PAUSE helpful?
A – Oh yes I do agree there were times they were helpful.
Q – Can you give me an example of a time when they were helpful?
A – “Well there were times when they sat down with me and talked about options to get more social. They told me about walking groups and suggested I take part in them. The thing they are not getting is the fact that we, as welfare recipients, are also trying to avoid stigma, when socializing within our means. When I told the people at PAUSE about my part-time job, that supplements my NS Income Assistance, I explained that there is no opportunity to socialize with my co-workers because we all work in isolation. The PAUSE clinician did ask me if I would be interested in changing employment if that opportunity came along.
“Kendall, As I told the PAUSE clinician it is all about weighing advantages VS disadvantages to any choice we make in life. As much as holding down a different type of employment may help me socialize at work, there are other advantages that come with my current job that I would miss.”
Of the other folks that I interviewed, he was the most upset that this program would not likely be available quickly.
The reality is when you try to get an organization or program to work on social isolation up and running it cannot happen over night. Writing a business plan/funding proposal can take months – and with the turn around time for grants – could be a year+. One of the angles we have to research is finding out what type of “Getting out and Socializing” would be appropriate, or that you would be interested in, besides talking to the people you see when standing in line at your food-bank and Soup-Kitchens.
I will end this by asking -- We are looking for ideas of social events that would bring people together – but, keep in mind – cannot be alcohol related – must be “social” and not just “entertainment”. A sober bar, as I wrote about previously might be too expensive. Walking/hiking groups; coffee klatches; board games and card games (but no gambling!); maybe some sports -- watching or playing?
What ideas do you have and who would you like to have socializing with you? Would you want everyone to be income reduced – disability, old age and welfare? Fear stigma or or prefer to have mixed income groups?
How would we invite people and how do we ensure we are not oversubscribed for an event if we know that many of the target group do not get email or see social media – or at least not in a timely fashion…
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