Time to Talk Day is all about bringing together the right ingredients, to have a conversation about mental health. Whether it’s with tea, biscuits and close friends or a room full of people challenging mental health stigma, we want you to get talking.
Time to Talk Day was introduced by Time to Change, which is a mental health organisation in the UK who are raising awareness of mental health and provide support and resources to people and communities.
The Mental Illness Advocacy Project (MIA Project) and the Dominica Dementia Foundation partnered for this campaign on the 7th of February, 2019 in Dominica. It was an online campaign to encourage others to have a conversation on Mental Health. Tonilia Eli (the founder of the MIA Project) and Rianna Patterson (the founder of Dominica Dementia Foundation) hosted a Facebook Live discussion on various topics relating to Mental Health, some of which were how relationships can compromise your mental health, the effectiveness of communication and the stigma attached to mental health.
Miss Dominica 2017, Jade Romain, also participated on this campaign as she wrote a meaningful post in collaboration with our discussion with the aim to inform others of the importance of therapy and the stigma attached to seeking help for your mental health. She commended health practitioners on their resilience through social care.
The Mental Illness Advocacy Project is a newly introduced organisation governed by young people that aims to raise awareness of the importance of Mental Health in Dominica. 19-year-old, Tonilia Eli is dedicated to encourage a new perception of mental illnesses through her organisation. Her team has started a video series on Facebook where they initiate conversation about various mental health and mental illness topics; with the aim of informing the public, bringing to light the facts and opinions of these happenings in a relatable form.
The Dominica Dementia Foundation also seeks to raise awareness of Mental Health, as well as raise funds for families affected by Dementia, provide emotional support to families and their caregivers and to facilitate research towards Dementia.