Strengthening Our Communities with Nutrition and Mental Health Training: A Pilot

Date: November 7th, 2019

Click here to download the presentation slides

There is a growing body of research supporting the key role that nutrition plays in mental health. However, applications of this knowledge to community health are only beginning to be explored. A registered dietitian-led nutrition training for mental health professionals was piloted in Thunder Bay using a ‘train the trainer’ model. The goal of the training was to increase the capacity of mental health professionals (such as counselors, nurses and support workers) to discuss nutrition as it relates to mental health conditions such as mood disorders.

This webinar describes the design, results and next steps of this training. Participants will also be engaged in polling questions and have the opportunity to share their thoughts on how these types of training could be adapted to address other mental health conditions and to meet the needs of additional audiences.

Learning Objectives:

In this webinar, participants will:

• Learn about one model for promoting mental health nutrition at the community level
• Explore the challenges and opportunities to improve health through community-based training in nutrition and mental health
• Discuss the role of nutrition professionals in promoting nutrition for mental health
• Share their insights and experiences with mental health promotion in their communities

Speaker:

Vincent Ng, RD, MPH

Vincent is a Public Health Nutritionist at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit who is passionate about health equity, mental health and collaborative approaches. His experience volunteering at a local drop in center and completing a placement at Waypoint Center helped him to realize the power of food in promoting mental health. In his current role, he is building capacity of mental health professionals by piloting a training on nutrition and mental health. He is excited to share about this work and explore the role of nutrition professionals in mental health promotion.