Cypher

Cypher

Motivational speaker and mental health advocate Asante Haughton collaborates with caregiving experts and musicians to remix the conversation on caregiving and mental health

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Nat

Nat

Paramedic Nat was the definition of a super-caregiver. She cared for her aging parents, while simultaneously overachieving as a paramedic. Yet while caring for everyone else around her, she forgot to take care of herself - which led to Nat needing a caregiver of her own.

Nat’s story is told through song by Canadian indie-rock icon Neverending White Lights, and 2020 Juno Award nominee Storry. This episode is a perfect reminder that even super-caregivers need to practice self-care.

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Shannon

Shannon

Shannon and Laura are two sisters who couldn't be more different. Yet when Laura began sinking deep and deep into depression, Shannon stepped up and answered the call - even though she felt completely unprepared.

This story of unbreakable sisterhood is told through song by rising superstars Command Sisters, and Canada’s “Queen of Hip Hop” Michie Mee. This episode is all about the power of sisterhood in the face of seemingly impossible odds.

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Rami

Rami

Dying is hard to talk about. Even more so when it’s a loved one. Yet professional end-of-life caregiver Rami brings us into this world by telling the story of “Ilka,” a South-Asian woman who was struggling to let others help her provide palliative care for her aging father.

Join Junia T, who was short-listed for the 2020 Polaris Music Prize, and multi-platinum producer Jarrel The Young, as they team up with Canada’s “Queen of Punk” Bif Naked, to tell this incredibly important story. It may be a tough topic to talk about, but just wait until you hear them sing about it.

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Mitch

Mitch

How do you provide care to Canada’s toughest man? And how do you keep getting back up after being knocked down time after time? Mitch Chuvalo shares his tips for building toughness as a caregiver, while sharing his painful but inspiring caregiving story.

In this episode, Torquil Campbell, lead singer of award winning Canadian rock band "Stars" joins Juno Award nominees Tanika Charles and D-Sisive to put music to Mitch's inspiring story.

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Four-Year Hiatus

Four-Year Hiatus

Cypher re-mixes the conversation around mental health and caregiving when Juno nominated rapper D-Sisive (aka Derek Christoff) sits down with motivational speaker and caregiver Asante Haughton to tell his story through music.

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Sorority

Sorority

When Bif Naked was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she had no idea she would find support in the form of 99 other women, all undergoing the same treatment. Learn about their "sorority" and the life-altering effect that it had on Bif. This episode explores the impact of cancer on mental health and Bif's journey from care recipient to caregiver.

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Punk Rock Mental Health

Punk Rock Mental Health

In this punk rock collaboration episode, we learn how Sheryl Boswell built Youth Mental Health Canada - Canada's largest online mental health support community - all by herself. Through exploring her DIY efforts, Asante breaks down the barriers and trepidation surrounding mental health caregiving.

Special thanks to Sheryl Boswell, Founder/Executive Director of Youth Mental Health Canada, for her contributions to this episode.

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Behind the Pain

Behind the Pain

Pat Gillett was struggling with substance abuse and mental health issues. It was his bandmates - and long-time friends - who helped support him and bring him back. Honors was formed as a new chapter in their journey. In this episode, we hear from Pat on how his friends provided care and support, and from his bandmates on their caregiving perspective.

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Forgiveness

Forgiveness

Tara Muldoon is a sexual assault survivor who has transformed herself from victim to caregiver through founding The Forgiveness Project. Follow Tara and artists Rich Kidd and Solitair as they use music therapy and honest discussion to explore forgiveness with inmates serving time. Guest musician Classified lends his production skills and voice, as we learn about the emotional impact on caregivers in this line of work.

Special thanks to Tara Muldoon, Founder, Sheldon "Solitair" Pitt, Manager, and Rich Kidd of The Forgiveness Project for their contributions to this episode.

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The Bridge

The Bridge

As we lose 10 Canadians a day to the opioid crisis, it's becoming clear that we all have a responsibility to create change. Seeing the impact on the music industry as a veteran tour manager, Ace Piva changed course, becoming a caregiver and addictions counsellor. While he's providing mental health education and support services for the music industry, he's also educating the public about overdose prevention.

Special thanks to Ace Piva, co-founder, and Faisal Khawaja, RPh, CDE, Operations Manager of Over the Bridge for their contribution to this episode.

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Play

Play

How do you work to build mental health in young people? You play. We visit Individual and Family Therapist David Cho and learn about using movement to help build positive well-being. The body holds stories, and play might be the key to helping us understand and express them. We also learn about the importance of creating and accessing a safe space, and how body language can build or break connections.

Special thanks to David Cho, Individual and Family Therapist at Skylark at MSLE Launchpad for his contribution to this episode.

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Together We Climb

Together We Climb

Kirsten and Rindy have been working for two years on a travelling puppet show that will make mental health themes tangible to young children. Fred Penner has been using energy and emotional connection to reach kids and families through music for over 45 years. When we bring our puppet friends and our gentle giant together, the result is magic.

Special thanks to Rindy Bradshaw and Kirsten Sixt, Program Directors at Teaching Awareness through Puppetry for their contributions to this episode.

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Letters From Caregivers: EMILY

Letters From Caregivers: EMILY

Canada’s “Queen of Punk” Bif Naked joins four-time Juno nominee D-Sisive and rockstar mental health advocate Asante Haughton, for a Cypher mini-series featuring four unique COVID-era collaborations. In this episode, they turn a letter from a front-line grocery store worker named Emily (who is also a caregiver for aging parents) into a song.

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Letters From Caregivers: JOHN

Letters From Caregivers: JOHN

John is a frontline security guard at a busy hospital, and a caregiver for aging parents. His powerful story is shared by Canada’s “Queen of Punk” Bif Naked, four-time Juno nominee D-Sisive, and mental health advocate Asante Haughton in this very special presentation of Letters from Caregivers. John's story is a prime example of how people can surprise you with their kindness. So let's all remember to give the benefit of doubt to the frontline workers who are taking care of us.

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Letters From Caregivers: VIRGINIA

Letters From Caregivers: VIRGINIA

Virginia is an ambulance paramedic, and a caregiver to her ailing mother. Her powerful “open letter” is shared by Canada’s “Queen of Punk” Bif Naked, four-time Juno nominee D-Sisive, and mental health advocate Asante Haughton in this very special presentation of Letters from Caregivers. Virginia’s letter is a great reminder that some people have a lot more going on then we know. So let’s all remember to give extra consideration to the frontline workers working twice as hard to take care of us.

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Letters From Caregivers: FERDOUS

Letters From Caregivers: FERDOUS

Ferdous is an Uber driver, caring for his immune-compromised daughter, who is suffering from Juvenile Dermatomyositis. His stirring letter is shared by Canada’s “Queen of Punk” Bif Naked, four-time Juno nominee D-Sisive, and mental health advocate Asante Haughton in this very special presentation of Letters from Care-givers. Ferdous' letter is a perfect reminder that while some of us are looking to get back to normal, others are still in the middle of a life and death battle. So let's all give the frontline workers taking care of us the respect and consideration they deserve.

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Series Trailer

Series Trailer

Just as every musical collaboration is personal and unique, so too is each caregiving experience. Join award-winning peer support caregiver Asante Haughton in conversations with caregivers and premiere Candian music talents on the front lines of mental health. Together, they will unpack key challenges and pertinent issues, providing caregiving insights along the way.

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Episodes

Cypher

Cypher parallels the process of musical collaboration with the peer-support method of mental health caregiving.

Just as every musical collaboration is personal and unique, so too is each caregiving experience. Join award-winning peer support caregiver Asante Haughton in conversations with caregivers and premiere Candian music talents on the front lines of mental health. Together, they will unpack key challenges and pertinent issues, providing caregiving insights along the way.

Talking about mental health is powerful - but singing about it is transcendent.

Enter four-time Juno nominee D-Sisive, who will use these insights to create dynamic musical collaborations with poignant perspective, emotional expression, and lessons learned. In each episode, D-Sisive will invite a marquee recording artist to bring the stories of caregivers to life. Asante and D-Sisive's peer support-driven conversation marked an important turning point in D-Sisive's own personal journey. Now the two intend to demonstrate the power in remixing the conversation about mental health.


Saucy Momo and Stories For Caregivers would like to thank the many experts who contributed to the creation of Cypher:

Producer

Saucy Momo
Saucy Momo

Saucy Momo creates "video for good." Whether promoting clean water in Kenya, education in Ethiopia, sustainable development in India, or ethical coffee and chocolate production in Ecuador, the punchy little production company only takes on work that makes the world better.

Saucy Momo founder Ken Galloway's writing has been published by The Toronto Star, National Post, MSN and enRoute. He has directed over 50 music videos and short docs for top musical talent including Gord Downie, Macklemore, Nelly Furtado and LIGHTS. Ken is also the former head of video production for advertising giant Ogilvy & Mather, where he directed and produced work for IBM, Dove, Coca Cola, and Tim Horton's, among countless other iconic brands. A few years ago, Ken decided to "defect to the light side," and has been producing video for good ever since.

Saucy Momo is proud and excited to create fresh, authentic, and emotional content for the Stories for the Caregivers online community. Got an idea or initiative that will make the world a better place? Drop Saucy Momo a line!

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