Saint Charles Lwanga America Center Mental Health Tub

Mental Health Focus Day (MHFD)



An Environment-Mind–Body–Soul (EMBS) Healing & Movement-Based Mental Health Initiative by Saint Charles Lwanga America Center

Objectives:

By the end of the session you will:

1. Have learnt about perception and stance

2. Have used perception and stance to enhance awareness

3. Turn awareness into decision-cues and modification of practices

4. Explore evidence-based approaches to stress reduction and anticipation

1. Introduction

At the Saint Charles Lwanga America Center we dedicate a day for what we term as "My Mental Health tub" (Mental Health Tub)

We envision you as immersing yourself in a tub. It is a holistic, individual-led mental health and healing initiative.

By the time we end the session you will have:

find activities that build back mental health.

The program uses an Environment-mind–body–soul (EMBS) approach combining:

  • Music, dance, drama, dressing & movement healing (Throb sequences and rhythmic expression) 

  • Community co-creation spaces 

  • Cultural exchange between participants 

  • Economic empowerment platforms 

  • Psychosocial support through holistic and collective care 

Mental Hub is built on the belief that treatment and healing are not only clinical—but that they can also be physical, cultural, spiritual, and collectively prescribed.

2.Background & Justification (Evidence-based)

 Mental Health Empowerment Belief Statement

Communities can come up with appropriate tools that improve the mental health of members in the form of:

  • Nature walks

  • Gardening and animal care sessions

  • Community clean ups

  • Reforestation

  • Group therapy

  • Art and painting

Contextual Aspects

  • Communities have members with high levels of: 

    • depression 

    • anxiety 

    • PTSD 

  • Mental health challenges are strongly linked to: 

    • poverty 

    • violence 

    • unemployment 

    • displacement 

    • Stigma

    • Fear of the unknown

    • Cultural shock and resultant depression 

    • anxiety following overwhelming demands and lack of social or cultural navigation skills

    • trauma-related disorders 

    • mental distress often continues long after displacement due to: 

    • legal insecurity 

    • economic exclusion 

    • social isolation 

    • Low or no educational qualifications 

Key Gap Identified

There is a tendency to treat “mental” health as a distant and unsolvable aspect

  • Mental health is solvable especially if communities can use simple and appropriate tools such as activities centering mindfulness

  • Small bite-size solutions exist: Mindful Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); Family Based Therapy Model (FBTM); and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Why A Mental Health Hub Matters

Mental Health Hub responds to this gap by offering:

  • Tapping into Family-based and cognitive therapy models

  • Establishing  “mental” health interfaces and make it a solvable aspect

  • Empower communities to  use simple and appropriate tools such as activities centering mindfulness

  • Movement-based trauma healing through Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

  • Community-led psychosocial support that addresses housing stability, food security and livelihood assurance 

  • Cultural and economic inclusion 

  • Establish safe spaces that acknowledge need, affirm the positive desire of self-preservation, allow one to be vulnerable and resilient 

3. Program Philosophy

Environment- Mind – Body – Soul (EMBS) Model

The Mental Health Hub operates on four integrated pillars:

1. Environment (Embodiment Matters)

  • Physical status 

  • Physical location

  • Utilization of tools and tangible objects 

  • Sustaining a better physical, chemical and biological space

2. MIND (ESPRIT – Franco  inclusion)

  • Psychological healing 

  • Dialogue circles 

  • Storytelling/Poet therapy 

  • Emotional regulation spaces 

3. BODY (Drum-Throb Sequences)

  • Dance healing sessions 

  • Rhythmic movement therapy 

  • Embodied trauma release 

  • Energy restoration through movement 

“Throb” represents rhythmic bodily expression through dance sequences, rooted in liberation practices, especially in Black cultural traditions where movement is a form of healing, identity, and resistance.

4. SOUL (Essence)

The ability of one’s soul to dream or appearances and the feeling that one can be transported to other spaces

  • Spiritual grounding practices 

  • Reflection spaces 

  • Collective healing rituals 

  • Meaning-making and resilience building 

4. Program Components

4.1 Movement Healing (Throb Sequences)

  • Weekly dance and movement therapy sessions 

  • Trauma-informed facilitation 

  • Participant-led choreography and co-creation 

4.2 Community Integration

  • Joint refugee & host community workshops 

  • Cultural exchange sessions 

  • Dialogue and storytelling forums 

4.3 Economic Empowerment

  • Creative marketplaces for participant products 

  • Business mentorship 

  • Skills development and branding support 

4.4 Public Engagement & Advocacy

  • Sessions with artists, public figures, and advocates 

  • Awareness campaigns on inclusion and mental health 

  • Anti-stigma community education 

4.5 Relief & Solidarity Programs

  • Mutual aid support for refugees and host communities -Food drives

  • Community-based support systems 

  • Shared resource initiatives 

5. Expected Outcomes

  • Ownership of tools and means to figure out stressful conditions

  • Ability to anticipate stress and trauma and avoid such triggers

  • Improved mental health and emotional resilience 

  • Reduced trauma symptoms through embodied healing 

  • Stronger refugee–host community relationships 

  • Increased income generation and independence 

  • Greater visibility and inclusion sessions

  • Sustainable community-led healing ecosystem

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