Episode 3: Mental Health and Money

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: 

• http://www.odspaction.ca  
• http://yourlegalrights.on.ca/webinar/odsp-and-arts-council-grants  
• http://www.torontoartscouncil.org/reports-and-resources/toolkits-and-resources 

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