Radio Totally Normal Toronto

Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) & Furthering Our Community (FOCUS)

7/17/2018

On this episode of RTNT, hosted by Julie, we explored mental health and crisis. In this week's episode we interviewed members of the Mobile Crisis Intervention Team (MCIT) and a member of FOCUS Toronto.
First up, RTNT's Lou sits down with Constable Paul Regan and his partner, nurse Leona Anthony, from MCIT. We gained great insight about the creation, purpose, and benefit of MCIT. The Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams are collaborative partnerships between participating Toronto area hospitals and the Toronto Police Service (TPS). The program partners a mental health nurse and a specially trained police officer to respond to situations involving individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. Coverage is now available throughout the City of Toronto.
Next, we had RTNT's Jerry sit down with Evon Smith of Furthering Our Community by Uniting Services (FOCUS) Toronto to learn about their organization. FOCUS Toronto is an innovative Community Safety and Well-Being Initiative led by the City of Toronto, United Way Toronto and Toronto Police Service that aims to reduce crime, victimization and improve community resiliency and well-being.
This episode originally aired on July 11, 2018 on CJRU 1280 AM and cjru.ca.
More information about the Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams can be found: http://www.torontopolice.on.ca/community/mcit.php
More information about FOCUS Toronto can be found: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/public-safety-alerts/community-safety-programs/focus-toronto/
Songs used can be found on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZnwLamCia4

The Toronto Writer's Collective: Expressive Writing and Mental Health

6/29/2018

On this episode of RTNT, Jerry hosts as we dive deep into The Toronto Writers Collective. The TWC was founded in 2012 to encourage voice and illuminate undiscovered strength in Toronto’s most vulnerable communities.

First up, RTNT’s Julie sits down with Erdine Hope, a TWC Facilitator to gain insight into the inner workings of the workshops. Next, Luis speaks with Roberta Taylor, a longtime member and a newly trained facilitator. Roberta also shares a few wonderful pieces she has created through participating in the TWC workshops, with a bit of sound design by the RTNT team. Our final interview is with Dr. Kelly McShane, a professor and researcher from Ryerson University. Emily and Dr. McShane explore the role of measuring the effectiveness of community based mental health programs. As always, immense thanks to our guests and everyone who helped us put together this episode.

This episode originally aired on June 13 2018 on CJRU 1280AM and cjru.ca

Find the Toronto Writer's Collective on Facebook and Twitter

Music on this episode is by Broke for Free

Sounds used can be found on freesound.org
- freesound.org/people/haldigital97/sounds/241824/
- freesound.org/people/videog/sounds/149190/
- freesound.org/people/listeningto…les/sounds/323048/
- freesound.org/people/mario1298/sounds/181255/

0 Comments

Healthy Food and Mental Health

3/14/2018

0 Comments

Jerry, Paul Taylor, Mickey and Vanessa, post interview

FoodShare is a non-profit organization that works with communities and schools to deliver healthy food and food education. FoodShare's Executive Director Paul Taylor joins Jerry Gluckowsky to discuss food justice and the implications on one's mental health. Rae hosts this episode, which originally aired on March 14th on CJRU 1280 AM and cjru.ca.

At first glance, healthy food and mental health might not have clear links. But while researching and recording our Mental Health and Money episode, the cost of food became a topic of conversation for the RTNT crew. As well, Jerry, who interviewed Paul Taylor, had picked up a Good Food box at St. James Church. All of this led us to FoodShare and a deeper understanding of food insecurity here in Toronto. If you are not sure what food insecurity is, check out this month's episode and the helpful infographic below.

We hope you enjoy the episode , and thank you to our guest, Paul Taylor, and all the members and staff of Progress Place who made this show possible.

0 Comments

Mental Health, Youth and Homelessness: A conversation with Yonge Street Mission's Jesse Sudirgo

2/14/2018

0 Comments

Since October 2017, Radio Totally Normal has expanded to have a live radio show on Ryerson University's CJRU 1280 AM and cjru.ca.
The Yonge Street Mission is an organization in the downtown sector that aims to help support Toronto's most susceptible population. They aid families, children, youth, and even communities existing in daily poverty. Jerry from RTNT sat down with Jesse Sudirgo, Director of Street Involved Services, to discuss mental health, homelessness, and youth. Hosting the show is RTNT member Chris but, as alway, this episode was made possible by a large number of members and staff of Progress Place.
We love this episode and we hope you enjoy it too!

0 Comments

Episode 4 : Circus Arts and Mental Health

9/25/2017

0 Comments

On today's episode of RTNT we jump into CIRCUS!! And how it relates to mental health, of course. RTNT member Julie speaks with Rachel, Izzy and Dai (pictured above) about Social Circus Circle or SoCirc, for short.

SoCirc is a Toronto based non-profit organization, that uses circus to provide social development and support through the physical activity and creativity of circus arts, for young people living on the margins, 14-29 years old. Social Circus is a concept that uses circus arts as a tool for social change.

The reason we at RTNT hooked onto this topic in the first place is because RTNT member Gaetan is a circus performer and began his practice through a social circus program located in Montreal, Quebec, called Cirque Hors Piste. He shares some of his experiences throughout the episode as well, and he put together a list of youtube videos that demonstrate various circus arts in today's episode. Click on the photos ion the slideshow below to see the videos he chose.

Enjoy!

Below is a performance Gaetan took part in in 2014 in Quebec City with Cirque Hors Piste

Music in today's episode is by:

Candy Nail by Keith Holmes
Big Blue, Biplane, A Gentleman, and Onward by Podington Bear
Original piano compisitions by Gaetan Genesse
Piano Loop #1 by Freesound user ispeakwaves
Sing Sing Sing by Louis Prima
Entry of the Gladiators by Julius Fucik

Visit the SoCirc page for info about their community partners mentioned in this episode.

0 Comments

Episode 3: Mental Health and Money

5/18/2017

1 Comment

Photographs by Rick Miller, a guest on this episode. Click here for more of his work.
Model: Ardani Particle

Inspired by the idea of red tape, Radio Totally Normal Toronto brings you an episode about money and mental health. Living with a mental illness sometimes means having a reliable and sufficient income can be challenging. In this episode, we'll be talking about social assistance, health, poverty and stigma. It's an eye opener.

Our guests are:

(4:28)
John Stapleton, a writer and instructor who worked in the areas of social assistance policy and operations.

(23.20)
Songs in the Key of Social Assistance: A Parody written by Gaetan Genesse, with additional voice work by Belke Fray

(25.03)
Rick Miller, a photographer and filmmaker who speaks to us about his experiences with mental illness, social assistance and advocacy

(37.45)
Bobby Giles and Joel Klassen from Yonge Street Mission's Friends Helping People End poverty, who speak to us about the Basic Income Pilot Project

Links to resources and sites discussed in this episode:
John Stapleton's website, including his report on The Cost of Poverty in Toronto. Other links pertinent to his interview include:

Information Page on applying for Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program
Specific information on Working When Receiving ODSP, including Rapid Reinstatement, the $100 Work Related Benefit, the $500 Employment and Training Benefit, and the Extended and Transitional Health Benefits
The Metcalfe Foundation
Toronto Sun article about changes coming to ODSP in January 2018 including raised asset limits

Rick Miller's artwork can be found on his Vimeo and Flickr pages. He is currently the media artists in residence at Workman Arts. The current version of his pamphlet about ODSP and artist grants can be found at the following links:

Other resources Rick talks about:

The Social Benefits Tribunal, which is where you would appeal a decision made by Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program
Legal Aid Ontario
ODSP Action Coalition, an organization that works towards improving ODSP
Ontario Arts Council Deaf and Disability Arts Grant and the Ontario Arts Council Deaf and Disability Arts: Materials for Visual Artists Grant

Joel Klassen is the Community Capacity Builder at Yonge Street Mission. He and Bobby Giles speak about the Basic Income Pilot Project.
Links about the Basic Income Pilot Project:

To download the full paper by Hugh Segal entitled Finding a Better Way: A Basic Income Pilot Project For Ontario
The launch of the basic income pilot project: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/5-questions-on-basic-income-as-ontario-launches-its-experiment-1.4084967

Music in this episode:
Scott Holmes: we used Big Apple and Inspiring Corporate
Podington Bear: Little Black Cloud, Vanagon, Trundle, Ideas, Sunbeam, Skeptic, Down and Around, We Make A Good Time
Jason Shaw: Acoustic Meditation
David Szesztay: Waiting
Dave Depper: Acoustic 1, Marimba Motivation
Gaetan Genesse: Acoustic Composition

1 Comment

Episode 2: Creativity and Mental Health Part 1

3/8/2017

5 Comments

The RTNT crew is so happy to bring you our second episode. A little late, but better late than never, right?

This episode explores comedy and theatre as ways of exploring and understanding what it means to live with mental illness.

(3mo4), (11m13)
Our first two interviews are with Bart Campbell and Michael Arnold from Laughing Like Crazy, a peer support program that comes out of the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, in partnership with STAR Learning at St. Michael's Hospital, here in Toronto. A few RTNT'ers took in their last performance in December 2016, so we can tell you that the jokes coming out of Laughing Like Crazy left us (ahem) laughing like crazy :)

(18m00)
Also in this show, Grant Ellis, a spoken word artist and Progress Place member, shares a piece about his life in Toronto entitled Justify. It's a beautiful piece and we're sure you will agree, what.a.voice.

(19m05)
Rounding out the show, we have an interview with Toronto writer, performer, and speaker Laurel Brady. We discussed the links between mental health and performance, and specifically her one woman show Surfacing. You can find out more about Laurel by visiting her website.

Bookending our show, we have some jokes from Progress Place members. We hope they give you a giggle.

Music in today's show is Instrumental #2 Revisited by Gillicuddy. Find more work by this artist here.

Thank you to all of our guests and contributors, as well as to the whole Progress Place community for their ideas and support.

Enjoy the episode!

5 Comments

Episode 1: Origin Story

1/25/2017

0 Comments

The RTNT team proudly presents Episode 1 of our new podcast. You'll find discussion about mental health, music and an audio tour of Progress Place. We hope you love it as much as we loved making it!

Segment 1:
Music in this episode is by
The Wooden Sky
Elevator Boy
Podington Bear
Broke for Free
Keith Holmes

0 Comments

Episode 0: Talk About It!

12/1/2016

0 Comments

We are so happy to showcase a preview of our brand new podcast, Radio Totally Normal Toronto (RTNT). Our first complete episode will be available in January but just to whet your appetite here is a piece created to celebrate the 2016 Flashmob to stomp out stigma!
The flash mob took place on October 6th, 2016 as part of Mental Illness Awareness Week. If you would like to see a video, check it out here

0 Comments

Archives