Man on Manitoba (MOM)
An online health and social care resource for Manitoba - listen to your MOM and get checked
Created by CBRC
Man on Manitoba is a digital navigation tool for men accessing Manitoba’s spectrum of health and social care systems..
Whether Two-Spirit, gay, bi, queer, cis and/or trans, manonmanitoba.ca is a digital navigation tool for men accessing Manitoba’s spectrum of health and social care systems..
This online hub facilitates important connections between service providers, community members and the Manitoba 2SGBQ+ Men’s Health Collaborative, a group of providers and organizations working together for better health outcomes and opportunities in the 2SGBQ+ community.
A Community-led CBRC Project
Man on Manitoba (MOM) is the outcome of collaborative efforts with participants from the province’s first iteration of Investigaytors - a CBRC capacity-building intervention for GBT2Q men interested in health research.
These participants formed an advisory group informed by Winnipeg-based research. This effort identified a need for a solution to navigating the health and social care systems of Manitoba in an easy and supportive way.
Prior to the launch of Man on Manitoba, there was no central and easily accessible online resource that provided information on GBT2Q+ health and wellbeing services in the province. While most of its content targets GBT2Q+ community members, there is alo a portal for service providers to access training information and consultation requests.
Website Content
Mind & Body: Links to physical, mental & sexual Health Resources
Social & Community: Support building protective factors (spiritual, cultural, financial etc.)
Research: Links to CBRC publications and the Manitoba 2SGBQ+ Men’s Health Study
Programs: Connections to CBRC and Manitoba 2SGBQ+ Men’s Health Collaborative services
Service Providers: Information for other providers (ie. consultation requests and training)
Engagement Strategy
As a digital resource, Man on Manitoba exists exclusively in online spaces. In order to connect the target audience of Two-Spirit, gay, bi and queer individuals (cis and trans), social media promotion tailored to this demographic is a key part of CBRC’s community engagement strategy. These efforts are supplemented by networking through peers on the MOM advisory committee (comprising Manitoba’s initial Investorigaytors cohort) and among service providers with a stake in GBT2Q+ health.
Resources Required
The following resources were required to launch the MOM online resource hub:
Human Resources
1 regional development coordinator (7 hours/week)
1 community trainee (7 hours/week)
1 regional manager (project supervision)
4-6 advisory committee member (paid through honoraria based on monthly engagement)
10-20 collaborators through the MB 2SGBQ+ Health Collaborative and Men’s Study (health care providers, CBO representatives, activists etc, quarterly engagement)
Material & Promotional Resources
Social media content and assets
Graphic design
Reporting
Financial Resources
Human Resources: approx. $15k/year
Material Resources: approx $1k/year
Other: approx $4k/year (honoraria for presenters/collaborators, Elder protocol, copy editing)
Challenges
While the Man on Manitoba website was successfully launched, several pandemic-related challenges impacted project launch:
Internal staff turnover slowed momentum during recruitment and onboarding. Further dedicated staffing time to maintain and promote MOM would have been beneficial.
Organizing remote meetings proved challenging - particularly to maintain project ownership within the advisory committee.
A lack of diversity on the advisory committee (largely white, cisgender queer men) was identified as a barrier to meeting programming goals. A more intentional recruitment process could be beneficial to engage a more diverse range of participants and perspectives. Program leadership is also committed to enhancing MOM through intersectional and QTBIPOC-centred content.
Successes
As an online resource, success is largely tracked through engagement with social media posts and website visits. CBRC is pleased to report substantial uptake among community members accessing information.
CBRC’s program leadership is also encouraged by continuing engagement with the MOM advisory committee - ensuring that the resource offers relevant information to GBT2Q+ community members.
Program Materials
For further information, please contact:
Spencer Belanger
Prairies Regional Manager, CBRC
spencer.belanger@cbrc.net
403-835-3996
Calgary, AB