A new personal wellness program will soon be engaged in numerous Humboldt and area wellness and support agencies thanks to the work of Humboldt and District Community Services (HDCS). 

Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training came to Humboldt from June 18 - 21 at the Humboldt and District Community Services Offices. The four-day training session was designed to deliver wellness and mental health service providers with a new toolkit to support the well being of their clients.

The premise of WRAP is relatively simple. Individuals engaged in recovery, whether from addictions, trauma, mental or physical health episodes, know themselves. They know their moods, their health cycles, and often their triggers. WRAP provides a framework for the individual to recognize and track their healthy behaviours and record and respond to triggers that might endanger their well-being.

The training session was a plan that has been three years in the making and all the pieces came together in June 2019. Supported Employment Coordinator with HDCS Niamh Menz explains that she first encountered the program in 2016 on an overseas trip. It was immediately apparent to her how valuable the program would be. Following some discussion, the decision was made to pursue bringing the training in, not only for HDCS staff, but for others in the community involved in wellness outreach.

Menz describes the program, "It's creating facilitators so we can sit with our individual clients, and we can help guide them through making a plan for themselves to stay well. So in actual fact, the individuals are doing all of the work; we're just guiding them and facilitating that process. It's a personalized, self-designed plan to stay well, to recognize triggers when they're not at their best, and to create a plan at difficult times in their lives."

Part of the plan involves identifying people and agencies that can rally in times of crisis or to simply act as supports to maintain wellness. Counsellors, school advisors, or medical practitioners can be part of the network, but so can friends and family.

The WRAP planning also allows for listing activities or personal obligations to maintain wellness. Cues to exercise, eat well, socialize, or maintain medication regimens could all be part of that wellness plan. By knowing the triggers for wellness issues and by establishing appropriate responses ahead of time, the individual gains control over situations that might otherwise seem uncontrollable.

The WRAP plan comes as a guide document in a pamphlet form. Menz calls it a living document in that it can be updated or changed.

"You can multiple wraps if you'd like to." Components of the WRAP plan include establishing what the individual looks like when he or she is well, identifying triggers and responses, and finally planning for recovery and maintenance. In cases where a response to a trigger may be thoughts of suicide, the crisis plan identifies those immediate people, resources, and actions to help keep the person safe in the short term.

Menz comments on the versatility of the program, "The reason I love this so much is that everything that we're seeing right now is geared to mental health. But this is such a beautiful program that it could be a support for almost anything. It could go for people who have addictions or eating disorders; it could go for people suffering from anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress. Because we are the experts on ourselves, it becomes our own plan."

Tamara Shepherd, who works in the area of mental health and addictions with the Saskatchewan Health Authority, joined forces with Menaz and HDCS Director Juanine Korte to plan and apply for grants to make the training possible. The group applied for and received the Royal University Hospital Endowment Grant which provided the funding for the training and materials. The dates were set for trainer Debbie Sesula to come in from BC to facilitate. 

The training was delivered to front line workers from Partners Family Services, Carlton Trail College, Humboldt Alternative Measures Program, and Humboldt and District Community Services. A psychiatric nurse from LaRonge was also able to take the training to deploy in her community.

With the WRAP training, those workers assisting clients in need of crisis management and maintenance of personal well-being have a powerful new program in their arsenals.