Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Professors Blake Poland and Dionne Gesink invite you to an informational session and opening conversation about mindfulness, its relevance to public health, the AMM-MIND program, and what engagement with this work could mean for our programs and offerings in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Presenters:

Michele Chaban, Founding Director of AMM-MIND, School of Continuing Studies, & Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work

Michael Apollo, Former Program Director, AMM-MIND, School of Continuing Studies & Founder of “A Mindful Society” Conference & Mindful Gateway

 The science and practice of mindfulness has gained prominence in the Western hemisphere since the 1980s, building on centuries of rich tradition in the East. A growing body of empirical research has begun to document the benefits of applications of mindfulness for improved mental and physical health, resilience, service provider responsiveness, improved immune response, reduced blood pressure, stress reduction, cognitive function, memory, concentration, and violence reduction,  based on interventions in a range of fields including with youth, diabetes management, eating disorders, addictions, pain management, cardiovascular disease, emergency services, and neuroscience. This coincides with growing interest in the mental health consequences of economic and social upheaval, extreme weather and other shocks and stressors, as well as mental health on campuses and in schools, in the workplace, among healthcare providers and social service personnel, community-based applications, and more. Potentially each of the social (and ecological) determinants of health of concern in public health could benefit from the incorporation of mindfulness. Indeed, a public health perspective is well aligned with contemporary approaches to mindfulness, as the focus of the latter moves ‘off the meditation cushion’ and into varied spheres of life engagement (the workplace, relationships, politics, etc).

Toronto is an internationally recognized epicentre of mindfulness training and research, and the University of Toronto has been an active node in this. Beginning in the Faculty of Social work in 2005, mindfulness training at the University of Toronto has evolved into the vibrant AMM-MIND platform in the School of Continuing Studies, which rallies 45 instructors in the delivery of 4 certificate programs and 41 courses in mindfulness and mindfulness meditation (M,MM). Graduates of these courses and programs can be found in many different sectors, within the health field and beyond.

Several of us have begun discussions with the AMM-MIND folks, at their request, and with the preliminary blessings of the Dean, about the possibilities for growing linkages between AMM-MIND and DLSPH. We are mindful (pun intended!) that this could take several forms, from new electives courses, integration into existing MPH and PhD programs, the establishment of a new Collaborative Specialization in Mindfulness and Health, and even the establishment of standalone MPH and PhD degree programs.