Greetings We trust this finds you well. Here's to 2022 with sincere hopes it will be bringing with it a 'new and improved' attitude 😉 The start of the new year allowed us time to reflect on 2021 and its impact – the GOOD, the bad and the ugly. Through that reflection we felt the combination of the recently completed Harmonized Health 2021 Executive Summary as well as the now released TUF documentary - which is now available for free on demand on TELUS Optik™ TV On Demand – presented a very good opportunity to send a Thumbs Up "update". It has been quite a ride ... And one we hope you will feel proud and honored to have been a part of - whether through your ongoing love and encouragement or by becoming a "new to Thumbs Up" supporter. Upon receipt of the $500,000 Alberta Government grant in 2020, the Harmonized Health pilot project commenced and was completed in 2021. It was our largest and most exciting undertaking to date. Below is a link to the original trailer on the Harmonized Health pilot project. https://vimeo.com/357015078/68d254ea36 We are now pleased to be able to share our 2021 Harmonized Health Executive Report, which summarizes the project. Completed in August 2021, Harmonized Health was a 12-month pilot set out to test the effectiveness of a client-first community-based model to improve mental health outcomes. A model not constrained by system priorities, funding models, or processes. The goal was to establish a new and integrated approach to supporting individuals with mental health and / or addiction challenges—through a client-first, caring and compassionate lens. The HH model incorporates lived experience and family and community working alongside medical professionals and other service providers. The report (attached) covers the origins of Harmonized Health, the specific tasks undertaken by the project team, the outcomes achieved, project learnings, and recommendations to the Alberta Government. The participating clients’ results were impressive. Individual clients reported a more than 80% improvement in their quality of care and coordination of care. Families reported a 93% satisfaction with the Families Helping Families Program, and in almost all cases, a family’s developmental strengths improved. Whether additional funding is secured or not – Harmonized Health was a very special undertaking. The entire experience provided a very high degree of increased knowledge, understanding, experience and wisdom. We continue to make every effort to grow awareness for the project because we strongly feel the learnings could and would contribute significantly to positive change. We are passionate in our belief it will be deeply unfortunate if the valuable expertise and experience garnered from this initiative are not leveraged. We would also like to share a documentary on Thumbs Up Foundation and the HH project that was recently completed by PIPEHOUSE. The documentary was made possible with funding to PIPEHOUSE from STORYHIVE and is available for free on demand on TELUS Optik™ TV On Demand. The documentary, named TUF, summarizes the importance of the Harmonized Health project through a client’s lens. TUF was an independent undertaking by PIPEHOUSE (meaning non-TUF initiated). Although a PIPEHOUSE undertaking, the owners of PIPEHOUSE were good friends of Braden's. While gathering video footage for the Harmonized Health video ‘trailer’ they came to feel quite strongly there might just also be the makings of a documentary. So strongly in fact that they took it upon themselves to get their project funded through Telus. Content Warning: The video discusses death, suicide, and addiction. https://vimeo.com/599649504/b66df3cf13” WHAT's NEXT: In our efforts to try to ensure ongoing support for this important work we:
Submitted a grant application to the Hunter Family Foundation at the end of October. The intention of the application is to build on the learnings and findings of HH with the hope and desire to be able to take this important work to the next level with the means and intention of creating a ‘blueprint’ for other communities to access as a resource. Currently we are in the “hurry up and wait” phase … 😊
Also submitted a grant application to the CIVIL SOCIETIES funding program mid-December. This grant would allow us to focus more specifically on continuing to build and enhance the community component of Harmonized Health – with an eye (as always) to create a ‘blueprint’ for other communities. A strong core group with diverse perspectives and expertise assisted us. Currently we are in the "hurry up and wait" phase 🙂
We feel a great sense of gratitude and heartfelt pride in our journey. But we have not done it alone. The unwavering love and encouragement of family, friends and Community combined with the continuing growth of other meaningful relationship provides us vital and necessary inspiration and motivation to continue. We are grateful for each and all of you for as Robert Frost so eloquently wrote, “We have promises to keep, And miles to go before we sleep.” Thank you for being a part of our journey. ❤️
There is a full report of Harmonized Health in the Executive Report - contact mona.cooley@coolfamilysolutions.com to receive the full report.