FUTFS Newsletter 19 (October 2022)

For You Telecare Family Service (FUTFS) assists individuals and families from all walks of life to overcome cultural, emotional, and psychological barriers through a wide range of counselling and educational services and programs. In collaboration with other social service organizations, FUTFS raises awareness of social issues and supports clients in the community through the progression of a healthy lifestyle and gradual integration into Canadian society.

 

Program & Service, October 2022

The projects we provide at FUTFS are for anyone who is willing or interested in participating. It is easy to register through our website (www.futfs.org) and active participation promotes the development of ourselves and the Korean Canadian community.

ECAV Project: Essential Art Campaign for Violence Against Women

Aug. 2022- Mar. 2023

The ECAV project is an art campaign project against violence against women. Through this project, participants can help women develop skills to withstand and recover from difficult situations by exploring different ways to prevent violence. Activities of the project include creating t-shirts for campaign to promote violence prevention in the community, visiting local schools for youth & holding workshops on healthy gender concepts and healthy relationships, designing & wearing ribbons or bracelets to prevent victim-related violence , designing & printing posters to promote campaigns, drawing murals to promote prevention of violence, composing songs for anti-violence & planning performances. We welcome to anyone who want to join us!



Suicide Prevention Workshop Series

Oct. 4th - Nov. 22, 2022

Suicide Prevention Project trains participants to properly understand and prevent suicide so that they can properly understand and prevent the cause of suicide. In order to prevent suicide, various trainings on suicide prevention will be provided, and participants in this project will learn how to recognize warning signs of suicide and learn techniques to talk about and prevent suicide. Workshop activities, Focus group activities, campaign activities, etc. will be held, and anyone can participate.

The 39th Counselling Education & Volunteer Training 

Oct.7- Nov.25

This is an educational program for basic understanding of telephone counseling, as well as learning counseling skills and attitudes as a volunteer. Upon completion of this program, you will be given the opportunity and qualification to serve as a telephone counselor at For You Telecare Family Service(FUTFS).

E-Animation Class 

Sep. 20- Nov. 22

The objective of the EARS project is to improve youth resilience skills, build capacity for the importance of advocating for healthy well-being, and identify and implement positive change and outcomes. It is aimed at young people (ages 12-17) and their parents. The project also enables parents to acquire the skills of communication and advice with their youth or children, and positively in the youth to make the right decisions for themselves. In particular, the E-Animation Workshop, which will be held for 10 sessions from September 20th to November 22nd, is an educational program that allows participants to learn how to make Short Animations with a computer and to express themselves based on their artistry.



ACCESS Project: Conversation Window for Seniors

May, 2022- March, 2023

‘Conversation Window’ is one of the activities in implementing the ACCESS project.  The purpose of this activity is to support healthy and happy lives for seniors and to allow them to share their stories through positive dialogue. We recognize that seniors have various difficulties such as physical, psychological, economic, family and social relationships, but we want them to see that they do not have to solve them on their own. Through ‘Conversation Window,’ the seniors will be able to connect with the local community, share with experts, be cared for, get a reprieve from loneliness and isolation, and obtain various information and the emotional stability necessary for a healthy life. All conversations will be kept confidential.

BASE Project: Outreach Service for Leadership Improvement in Korean-Canadian  Community

The Belonging Accepting Sharing and Empowering (BASE) project is a project that teaches the importance of the roles and responsibilities of volunteer leaders in disseminating the right spirit of service and counseling to the Korean community. FUTFS will meet one-on-one with community leaders to share their lives and visions, and provide workshops that are helpful for positive change and growth in the group to which they belong, and provide individual coaching or education at the request of the leaders. In particular, this project provides outreach services for improving the leadership of the Korean-Canadian community leaders and for the development of local groups and organizations.

The English Café

FUTFS provides the opportunity to have fun through informative English education classes in order to help trained volunteers do volunteer work without language barriers. This class is held every Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. until noon. It is free and anyone who wishes to attend may do so.



Mental Health Crisis on Campus

The mental health crisis refers to the substantial increase the number of students requiring mental health services on campus and the lack of mental health resources to meet the needs of these students. The problem is not regarding that the universities are not offering mental health resources but rather there is a lack in their efficacy and accessibility. Many of the common mental health concerns include depression, anxiety, mood disorders, ADHD, eating disorders, and suicide ideation. There has also been a rise in the suicide rate among university students. Around 16% of university students have considered suicide and 3% have attempted suicide in the year of 2019.  Many students enter university with unrealistic expectations but as they progress through the challenges and adversities of university, they learn that their actual experience is far different from their previous expectation. This is important because when students have high expectations, but their results or experiences are much lower, they tend to believe they do not belong in university which diminishes their self-worth and gives rise to mental health concerns.  Furthermore, stress which is associated not only with physical health issues but also the development of psychological health problems has started to rise among students. These young students, advocating for their mental health concerns are desperately calling for more help and support from the university and the community. Improving accessibility is important because it allows those who need care, to receive it immediately. In addition, more emphasis needs to be placed on the prevention of mental health complications and maintenance of overall mental well-being. The mental crisis among university students is not a problem that can be solved by the university solely, but rather, it requires the effort of the entire community to work together and help the future of this country. A sense of hope can be derived from the collaborative effort of students and other passionate community members in generating both awareness and the development of solutions for this crisis.

Sahil Bhagat (field placement Student)