Big Ideas in Social Change, 2014

Dental offices like Asian Health Services are starting to incorporate mental health care in their dental services. By observing changes in oral health, building trust with patients to talk about their mental health and having them fill out questionnaires about how they’ve been feeling, dentists are able to identify patients that may be struggling and then help connect them with therapy and treatment. Asian Health Services screens 300 to 400 patients per year, about 7% of which are then referred to counseling.

Green prescriptions, like the practice of forest bathing, are becoming a formal part of the healthcare system. Organizations like PaRx work to connect people to green medicine in an effort to alleviate chronic conditions, increase health and happiness and foster a connection to the environment. Through the work of PaRx, 4,000 green prescriptions have been written by over 10,000 physicians in all 10 provinces.

As appointments with general practitioners (GP) are often short and hard to get, community link workers have the time and resources necessary to support those in need of care for non-medical issues, like energy management, mood stabilizing and mental health concerns. Appointments with link workers can last up to an hour, versus the average 10 minutes with a GP, and provide comprehensive care that can be followed up on by a GP if any clinical attention is needed.

In New Hampshire, a healing and bonding program is offering veterans and first responders experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder ways to cope with their stressors. From social interactions to equine therapy, participants have reported that the program has had a positive impact on their wellbeing.

In Georgia’s Bibb county, students at two schools are learning deep breathing and mindfulness from the organization, On the Same Breath. The practice, introduced by the organization and then led by teachers, gives students the opportunity to complete this practice every day for 40 days in the hopes that it will address behavioral issues and stress. It’s currently in the pilot stage for Bibb county, but the Atlantic public school system has been using it for years.

A middle school in New Hampshire has piloted a program that focuses on dividing the school into different wings and offering classes on "mental wellness, conflict resolution, and healthy ways to communicate" with the goal of better addressing the emotional wellbeing of students. The outcomes have been promising thus far, with students reporting improved effects on their mental health.

FC Sækó is an amateur Icelandic football club that is jointly sponsored by the Football Association of Iceland and the psychiatric department at Iceland’s University Hospital. It brings together players between the ages of 20 and 60 who are in treatment for mental health issues. The traveling team helps participants combat isolation and provides a routine where they have training responsibilities. The success inspired another team in Akureyri. Around 200 people also benefit from other free stress-management services and activities at the hospital, like nature walks, swimming, and acupuncture.

Rates of loneliness are increasing across the United States, as people rely on technology rather than human interaction for their day-to-day lives. To directly combat this, a man in Los Angeles created the People Walker app that allows people to request walks in order to create connection.

Since Ascend Charter Schools switched from the popular "No Excuses" model to a Responsive Classroom philosophy, test scores have steadily risen, suspension rates have dropped dramatically, and the racial achievement gap has all but disappeared. While traces of the former structures, such as repeated routines, still exist today, the school has also incorporated trauma-informed elements and social-emotional learning curricula.

In Rwanda, women are breaking gender stereotypes by playing soccer. After the Rwandan genocide of 1994, Felicite Rwemarika used her own money to fund the organization Women in Sport. Since then, it’s helped women process their trauma, and challenge traditional gender roles in the country.