World Suicide Prevention Day

On September 10th, SPIN and Prairie Mountain Health acknowledge World suicide prevention day.  This year’s theme is Creating Hope Through Action.  This highlights that our actions, each day, can connect someone to life and the help that they want to receive. We aim to work together to create a movement of preventative action to recognize the impact of suicide and ultimately, strive to prevent it. Small actions can make a huge difference.

World Suicide Prevention day is a time to connect and reflect, People in over 50 countries will recognize #WSPD. Every year, 160 million people world wide contemplated suicide and, tragically, 800,000 of them die by suicide. This means that more than 159 million people who survive a suicide related crisis every year. There is no reason that anyone has to die by suicide and, if we all do our part, we can prevent those deaths that do happen and the devasting impact that they have.

The power of coming together and reaching out to each other is immeasurable.  Often, we fear intervening when someone is struggling, because talking about suicide is difficult. There are some things you can do. You can listen with a non-judgmental ear and remind the person that others care for them. Check in with people regularly to see how they are doing, listen supportively. You do not need to have all the answers. Be aware and introduce them to resources in the area. Let them know that they are not alone. It is a myth that talking about suicide will put the idea in their head.

Find events near you

Brandon: Friday Sept 9^th come out to Princess Park in Brandon from 11:30am to 1:30pm. SPIN will be acknowledging WSPD by providing soup and bannock. Therapy dogs will be present. If it is raining the venue will be at the cultural center (638 Princess Avenue).  Find details here.

SPIN is also doing a call for nominations to acknowledge anyone or organization that is making an impact for suicide prevention. Please email your nomination to: [email protected] Please include: Who you are nominating, the type of work they are doing. Why you feel they are deserving, and contact information.

Roblin, Swan River, Ste. Rose, and Dauphin:  ‘Chalk The Walk’ September 9^th – 11^th.  Use chalk to help beautify your community (driveways, sidewalks, etc.) with images & messages of Hope, Resilience, Suicide Awareness & Prevention.  Go for a walk to see the images with a friend or family member and have the talk – chat about mental wellness.

SafeTALK Training: a FREE 3 hour in person training.  This educational opportunity will help you to be ready to reach out to someone thinking about suicide, overcome attitudes that act as barriers to help, talk openly about suicide and identify and connect people to resources in your area. 

• Brandon – Thursday September 8^th from 5pm to 8pm Elspeth Reid Family Resource Center.  Space is limited, email [email protected] to register.
• Roblin – Friday, September 9th from 9am to 12pm – Location To Be Decided. Contact Pamela Hansen to register – 204-937-3727 or [email protected]
• Swan River – Friday, September 9th from 9am to 12pm – Swan River Veteran’s Hall.  Contact Olivia Acorn to register – 204-734-6684 or [email protected]

We encourage people to place awareness messages or messages of resilience in their front window.  Light a candle in the window at 8:00pm to show your support of suicide prevention, or to remember a lost loved one or for someone who is bereaved by the loss of a loved one.

For more information, have a look at these resources through the IASP website:

• World Suicide Prevention Day Facts and Figures
• Creating Hope Through Action
• Suicide in the Workplace Outreach Brief
• At 8pm on World Suicide Prevention Day Light A Candle – IASP

If you are struggling yourself or are concerned about someone else’s suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to reach out for help. You can contact the Manitoba Suicide Prevention and Support Line at 1-877-435-7170, a crisis line available 24 hours per day. A trained crisis worker will listen to you and direct you to the resources you need. Locally you can contact Westman Crisis Services at 204-725-4411 or 1-888-379-7699 in Brandon Area, or 1-866-332-3030 for PMH-North- In an emergency call 911 or contact a local hospital or health office.

Follow SPIN social media: Twitter: @brandon_spin     Instagram: Spin_Brandon     Facebook: spinbrandon

Are You Craving Change®?

Do you eat when you’re stressed? Do you eat when you’re bored? You are not alone. Many people from all walks of life struggle with their eating. A program called Craving Change® will be offered in Prairie Mountain Health this Fall to help improve people’s relationship with food.

Craving Change® is a registered program in Canada created by dietitian Wendy Shah and clinical psychologist Dr. Colleen Cannon. The program employs a practical, evidence-based approach, which allows people to reflect on the factors influencing their eating behaviours and provide an opportunity for individuals to increase their awareness of personal eating triggers and patterns.

Sherrill-Lee Hyra, a Health Promotion Coordinator, is one of the many facilitators who lead Craving Change® in Prairie Mountain Health. “Food is a big part of our daily lives; it does not simply fuel our body; food can be much more than that. Food is comfort and celebration, and food serves as the foundation of a huge part of our social lives. Here in North America, we live in a society where outside factors greatly affect our eating. The Craving Change® program explores all this and looks at our eating environments and how emotions and learned behaviours influence the decisions we make around food every day,” Hyra said.   

Craving Change® will help you be aware of WHY you eat the way you do, ways to comfort yourself without food, and help develop ways to overcome food cravings.

This free program is designed for people who struggle to maintain healthy eating habits and want to feel more in control of their eating. “This program is not about dieting. It’s about understanding and controlling the behaviours that can lead to overeating,” Hyra said. 

Craving Change® is suitable for adults 18 years of age and older. “Individual diet counselling and teaching are not part of the Craving Change® community classes. Anyone with medical conditions is welcome to attend, but for those who do not understand their individual diet needs, it is recommended to see a Registered Dietitian first. Please call the Healthy Living toll-free telephone number at 1-877-509-7852 to register for Craving Change® or request an appointment with a Dietitian.”

Visit our Public Classes & Activities page to see if there are any Craving Change classes currently being offered. For more information on class dates or to register for this course, contact Prairie Mountain Health, Healthy Living toll-free at 1-877-509-7852.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Awareness Day

FASD Awareness Day is celebrated on September 9 every year. This is an opportunity to spread awareness of FASD, diagnosis, strategies, and prevention. 

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a diagnostic term used to describe the range of effects that may result when prenatal alcohol exposure occurs. These lifelong effects can include physical, behavioural, and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities. It is estimated that 4% of Canadians have FASD. 

In Manitoba, all assessments for FASD are done by the Manitoba FASD Centre in coordination with the Manitoba FASD Network. Prairie Mountain Health has two FASD Diagnostic Coordinators with the Network.

Today, we would like to share Bobby’s story and experience. Although Bobby is fictional, the experience is a realistic representation of many families that have a child referred to the FASD Centre.

Bobby is an eight-year-old female from the Prairie Mountain Health region who was referred to the FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Centre for an assessment in 2020. Bobby’s mom was concerned about Bobby’s very active behaviour, poor memory and struggles at school.

Referrals to the Manitoba FASD Network are accepted from families/legal guardians, physicians/health providers, and community agencies.

Bobby’s mom met with the Prairie Mountain Health FASD Diagnostic Coordinator, who helped complete the intake paperwork and consent forms. The Coordinator contacted the school for their view on Bobby’s strengths and difficulties at school. The Coordinator spent time with Bobby’s mom, learning about how Bobby functioned at home, her development from birth to now, prenatal history, and what their family hoped to get from the assessment. All this information helped to determine the assessment plan for Bobby.

The team reviewed Bobby’s file at the Manitoba FASD Centre in Winnipeg. It was determined that the FASD Centre should assess Bobby and identify which assessments she would need.

Bobby needed assessments by a Psychologist, a Speech-Language Pathologist, and an Occupational Therapist. The FASD Centre and FASD Diagnostic Coordinator worked with Bobby’s mom to determine the best times and location to hold these assessments. Some families need to travel to Winnipeg or Dauphin; however, they were able to have appointments in Brandon for Bobby. There were lots of questionnaires to fill out, but the Coordinator helped. The Coordinator also took photos of Bobby to prepare for the assessment with the doctor.

After these assessments, Bobby and her mom met with the Developmental Pediatrician and Coordinator at a clinic. The doctor talked with Bobby’s mom about her current concerns, Bobby’s history, her feelings, school experiences, friends and daily activities. The doctor did a physical and developmental assessment with Bobby.

At this appointment, the Developmental Pediatrician determined that Bobby met the criteria for an FASD diagnosis. The Coordinator was there to support Bobby and her mom. A report containing all the information learned about how Bobby functioned, and strategies to try was mailed a few weeks later. Bobby’s mom, her school, and the Coordinator then met to discuss the assessments’ findings. At this meeting, they discussed Bobby’s strengths and areas of difficulty. They worked together to plan ways to support Bobby in the future.

If you have questions about FASD or know someone interested in having a child under the age of 18 assessed for FASD, please contact:

FASD Diagnostic Coordinators

‘Tis the season for field tomatoes!

Nothing compares to the flavour of the garden and field tomatoes that are available in western Canada in the summer and early fall. This is the time that gardeners are harvesting tomatoes by the box full. Canned tomatoes and tomatoes grown in greenhouses are available all year long. We tend to think of tomatoes as red, but they can come in different colours, including purple, orange, yellow, green, striped etc. They are a great source of antioxidants, including vitamin C and lycopene. Tomatoes are thought to have originated in the Andes Mountains in South America. They are now eaten all over the world.

Tomatoes are wonderful fresh or cooked. They can be eaten on their own or as part of a delicious recipe. They can be frozen, canned, or dehydrated. They are great made into sauce or salsa. The University of Saskatchewan recommends storing fresh tomatoes between 15-22˚C out of direct sunlight.

Only store in the fridge once the tomato is cut or chopped; storing at temperatures below 10˚C with cause chilling injury. Storing and Preserving Garden Tomatoes – Home & Family (homefamily.net)

• Three ways to freeze fresh raw tomatoes | UMN Extension
• National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Can Tomatoes (uga.edu)
• Recipes:
  • Baked Tomatoes with Cheese (foodhero.org)
  • Terrific tuna and tomato salad – Canada’s Food Guide
  • Shakshuka | Girl Guide Adventures (wordpress.com)

Manitoba Health launches pilot project for retinal specialists in Dauphin

Manitoba Health Minister Audrey Gordon made a stop in Dauphin July 27 to announce details of a Retinal Specialist pilot project, in partnership with Ashcroft Vision Care.

The new program will be especially beneficial to patients who must travel to Winnipeg once a month for injections and currently face barriers due to a lack of access to care close to home including limited transportation options and additional expenses.

Also participating in the announcement were Ashcroft Vision Care optometrist Dr. Kara Vanderheyden and Dauphin MLA Brad Michaleski.

Read the full news release here.

Province invests in CT Scanner for Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River

Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson joined Health Minister Audrey Gordon and Prairie Mountain Health CEO Brian Schoonbaert on July 28 to announce the plan to install a CT Scanner within Swan Valley Health Centre in Swan River.

The province is committing $2 million to the initiative and the surrounding communities are contributing $1-million.

Schoonbaert indicated the next step in the process will be hiring a consultant to see where the CT Scanner can be located within the hospital.

Read the full press release here.

Mindful Eating

Although we strive to make healthy choices by eating mindfully, things are not black and white. We may choose to eat because we are feeling happy or sad and may even eat past when our bodies are feeling full. That is okay! There is no such thing as a perfect relationship with food. By being mindful we can notice how we feel after engaging in certain behaviours or eating certain foods (remember to experience and notice without judgement) and make choices for our future snacks and meals that make us feel our best.

Focusing on smell, taste, and texture of food can help you discover what you like and what you appreciate about certain foods.  This may help connect you to your eating experience and be more conscious of the food you are eating.  Try using your senses by following along with this video.

Mindful eating can help you discover what foods make you feel your best and you enjoy the most. This in turn can help you make food choices that are right for you. For more tips and benefits of mindful eating check out this blog post from Dalhousie University.

Interested in helping your children eat mindfully?  We are all born able to eat mindfully. We can make it easier with the right environment for us and children/youth. Try the A-B-C approach: A: Accept, B: Bond, C: Close the kitchen.  Discover the details on how to raise children with a healthy relationship with food, and how to raise mindful eaters.

Find more information on mindful eating visit: Be mindful of your eating habits – Canada’s Food Guide or The Center for Mindful Eating – Home.

Dauphin HERO Club continues to be busy

Many familiar sights were forced to the sidelines during strict COVID 19 pandemic restrictions and the Dauphin HERO Club hot dog cart program was one of them. However, with an improved COVID outlook and recent loosening of provincial public health orders, the Dauphin HERO Club’s Hot Dog Cart was back in the public eye — resuming operation again this year in June 2022.

People may recall the old cart, along with the Club’s previous location, was destroyed by fire in Feb. 2019. And amidst COVID hitting, it only operated for a very short time thereafter.

Jim Price is a Community Mental Health Worker for PMH, who works closely with members from the HERO Club.

“We remain very thankful for the ongoing support we receive from Prairie Mountain Health and of course, awhile back, the direct donations we received from community members and groups to relaunch the cart. Club members have been anxious to begin operating the program regularly again for Summer 2022. It’s a really great initiative, and something that has become a real recognizable sign of warm weather and summer days in Dauphin,” Price stated.

Patronage thus far this season has been and continues to be phenomenal. Sales are booming and community supporters have become regulars on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Reaction from HERO CLUB Members is very positive and enthusiastic. The members are grateful and appreciative of the ongoing support and patronage shown by the community of Dauphin. The members take great pride in providing a quality food service and are inspired by the opportunity to interact with the public at large. It is wonderful to see Dauphin continue to be a community that embraces and supports the club in so many ways and on so many levels.

Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) provides coordination and other assistance to the HERO Club through its mental health program. Dauphin (established in 1994) is one of four HERO Club sites within the health region. Roblin, Russell and Swan River are the others.

The HERO Club is an important initiative because it reduces stigma; provides awareness and education as well as advocacy and provides a clubhouse forum whereby the members can strengthen their resiliency and rekindle hope and encouragement. The club truly embraces and is characterized by what it stands for as a HERO – Helping Everyone Reach Out. We are blessed and humbled by the encouragement and compassion that is a hallmark of our community.

The HERO Club Hot Dog Cart is located outside the Under One Roof Building (formerly the United Church) in Dauphin on Tues. and Thurs. from 10:30 a.m. until 2:15 p.m. outside the former United Church Building (now Under One Roof) at 37 3rd Avenue NW).

The Mighty Beet

Submitted by: Sandra Smith, PMH Registered Dietitian

With the last half of summer approaching, gardens and farmer’s markets start filling up with plenty of garden vegetables. One of our family’s favourites is the beet. The most common beet we see is the red variety. However, beets come in a few colours, including yellow, pink and white beets, and a fun variety called candy stripe, a red and white striped version. Beets are naturally low in calories but contain lots of nutrients.

When choosing beets, halfyourplate.ca recommends that you choose firm, uniform beets free of blemishes and attached leaves be deep green and fresh looking. Beets store well for future use. It is recommended to separate the beets from the leaves, leaving 1 to 2 inches (2.5 -5 cm) of stems attached to the beet. Store leaves and beets in separate sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator vegetable bin. The leaves will last 2 to 3 days, and the beets will last 2 to 3 weeks.

Most recipes call for eating the beetroot, but did you know that you can also eat the beet leaves? Wash the leaves well, and then use them the same as you would spinach. Our family enjoys steamed beet greens; you can find a recipe here (How to Cook Beet Greens – COOKtheSTORY). I often cook extra beet greens and then freeze them in freezer bags in the amount our family would use for a meal. This makes for a quick vegetable side dish in the winter months. Last year, we also used extra beet greens to make a green beet pesto. (Beet Tops Pesto – Girl Gone Gourmet).

Have you tried roasted beets? Roasting your vegetables gives the vegetable a new flavour and helps change your side dishes. You can find a recipe for roasted beets here (Perfect Roasted Beets Recipe – Cookie and Kate). Serve roasted beets hot as a side dish, toss beets with some herbs (such as dill, basil, chives or thyme) when they come out of the oven or add hot or cold into a green salad. We try to roast extra beets that we freeze to eat during winter. My favourite beet salad is a “Warm Beet Salad.” This salad only has a few ingredients and is quick and easy to put together. Feel free to change up the nuts according to the kind you have on hand.

A tip for preparing beets is that you don’t need to peel them; you can eat the beet skin! This makes it a lot faster to prepare beets; make sure you scrub the beet skin clean first. Another tip is that you may want to wear rubber gloves when working with red beets, as the colour from the beet will temporarily turn your skin pink!

If you have questions for a dietitian, please call 1-877-509-7852 or email [email protected].