“Opening Minds, Opening Eyes” – Simone Walsh’s mission to end the stigma around mental health

BY: KAYLA KARIM

When Simone Walsh was suffering from a mental health illness, she knew that something wasn’t right. She experienced symptoms and the signs but didn’t listen to her body right away.

She realized that she couldn’t have been the only one suffering in silence, and immediately wanted to make a change. She was driven to create a space for those who may be ignoring the signs of a mental illness.

The Essence of Mind, an outreach program, is a public non-profit organization that provides families and individuals with the support to receive treatment for mental illnesses. The organization was created by Simone Walsh, a Jamaican Canadian, someone who, after suffering from a mental illness wanted to ensure that no individual had to experience the hurdles that she did.

The organization has hosted a fundraiser event annually since 2011, initially being held in restaurants with small groups attending. After receiving charity status, Stimulus, the event has grown into a much larger gala evening, held in banquet halls with many in attendance. 

This year, the Jamaican Canadian Association in North York, Ontario hosted the event with the theme, “Opening Minds, Opening Eyes”.

One of Simone Walsh’s missions for this event was to promote a relaxed environment when discussing mental illnesses.  She wants people to “just talk about it” without feeling scared or embarrassed. Walsh shared that the theme for the event was inspired by the intent to “breaking down the ignorance in the community”.  She wanted to ensure that those in attendance who are suffering or those that have suffered in the past knew that they were not alone.

When asked how this event came to be, Walsh stated that the “stigma is so high in our culture” which is what primarily motivated her to become an advocate for mental health in the Caribbean culture. She noticed that there wasn’t enough conversation surrounding the issues that some may have been going through.

An active supporter of Simone and the Essence of Mind’s mission, Joan Lee, said that she has been attending the galas for all eight years. She alluded to Simone’s comment about the lack of conversation, sharing that she also believes that many people of Caribbean descent tend to avoid taking the time to seek help in regard to their mental health.

Simone envisions that the fundraiser will only continue to grow. She sees the event getting bigger and bigger each year with more notable guest speakers and guest attending. Her main goal is to ensure that people who were and are suffering don’t have to wait months to see a doctor, but more importantly, know that they are not alone.

Having positive feedback and support from sponsors is what continues to inspire Simone to strive to create events bigger than the one before. The community also plays a major role in pushing Simone to do more. In the future, she hopes to provide programs and support groups for local citizens to attend. It is very acknowledged that professional services can be pricey and not always the most accessible for everyone, which is what Simone is tirelessly working on to eliminate.

In addition to the gala, Essence of Mind, the non-for profit organization hosts other events during Black History Month in February and Mental Health Awareness month in May. “Black Trauma” during Black History Month gives the public an opportunity to speak on and listen to stories about their experiences in regard to dealing with topics such as mental illness. In May, an event held called “Escape the Darkness and Into the Light” gives many individuals another chance to discuss how they overcame their illness and advice for others in a similar situation. 

Simone is one of many people that have found a light during a dark period in her life, which is why she is so passionate about providing that light for others. Her advice for everyone who feels that they might be suffering from any illness is to “listen to the signs and symptoms, find somebody that you can trust and know that there is help out there.”