With your support during the 2023 REEL Earth Day Challenge, a pilot program was launched to develop and deliver in-park programs for out-patient youth in the Fraser Health Psychiatric Unit, providing a safe and supportive environment for them to engage with nature.
By offering these programs, we hope to improve the mental health and wellness of these youth and promote the understanding of the healing power of nature.
Research shows that spending time in nature can have a positive impact on mental health by lowering anxiety,
improving mood, boosting creativity, reducing stress, and more. Fraser Health has an average of 500 youth admitted annually for psychiatric needs, a number that has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression and anxiety are two of the major health conditions affecting the youth. The REEL Earth Day Challenge has funded a pilot program that aims to develop and deliver in-park programs for out-patient youth in the Fraser Health Psychiatric Unit, providing a safe and supportive environment for them to engage with nature. By offering these programs, we hope to improve the mental health and wellness of these youth and promote the understanding of the healing power of nature.
Latest Update
Park Interpreters are working to develop and deliver in-park Wellness Walks for out-patients with the Fraser Health pediatric psychiatry unit. Initial meetings with Fraser Health and program development began in April. In addition, two staff members completed Mental Health First Aid training. The program launched in August, with two cohorts from Fraser Health participating. Each cohort will participate in its own ‘Wellness Walk’ over the course of the next 6 months, across multiple parks in the Regional Parks system. In total 26 youth will spend a combined 300 hours in nature. There is hope to repeat the process with new cohorts when they begin in spring of 2024.