The Community-based Immigrant Mental Health Project (CIMHEP) operated for three years. The project had three partner organizations: Multicultural Health Brokers Co-op, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers and Canadian Mental Health Association Edmonton Region.

CIMHEP focused on five immigrant and refugee communities Chinese, Somali, South Asian, Spanish-speaking and Vietnamese and mental health services provided by four health care sites University of Alberta Hospitals, Royal Alexandra Hospital, Grey Nuns Community Hospital, and the North East Community Health Centre.

CIMHEP piloted the role of community-based immigrant Mental Health Cultural Brokers in the mental health arena. These individuals provided one-to-one support and referrals for families and individuals struggling with social and economic issues, acting as bridges between mainstream supports and services, and community members. Working at individual, family, community and organizational levels, the eight community-based mental health cultural brokers in the five focal communities:

1. Linked community members to preventive help and health services
2. Mobilized people in their communities to work together to increase health education and preventive practices, and
3. Fostered the learning of health care system participants how to better support individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds
4. Ensured timely access by immigrant & refugee patients/families to health & mental health services, as well as continuity of care along the full continuum of services.

The brokers provided direct support to over 600 individuals in the five communities though over 2500 contacts during the period April 2001 to May 2004. Another 169 individuals were able to access the support of a site-based multicultural health broker or bi-cultural counselor in one of the four mainstream sites.

CIMHEP also funded 50 community development mini-projects that addressed community-identified health issues in the five focal communities. Designed and implemented by community people, at least 2000 individuals in the five focal communities participated in projects in the areas of health promotion, accessing health and other services and developing preventive projects in the communities.

The project also translated 10 mental health articles into 13 different languages. These topics ranged from Alcohol and Drug Problems Happen in All Kinds of Families to Making Sense of Depression. These resources are now available on-line and are being well-received by a wide variety of organizations in Edmonton and across Canada.

For more information please call 780-424-7709 or e-mail info@emcn.ab.ca