“High-quality social connections are essential to our mental and physical health and our well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are important, yet neglected, social determinants for people of all ages.”
– World Health Organization
At Ottawa Salus Housing Corporation, Writers Collective of Canada (WCC) community writing workshops are an integral component of mental health services. Salus clients are adults living with serious mental illness and substance-use health challenges. It may not seem obvious that writing workshops could have a measurable impact for those among the most vulnerable to homelessness and instability.
The connection between wellness services and recovery is evident to Salus staff who witness it daily. Community Developer Erica Pretty says, “It takes courage, vulnerability, and willingness to seek support by engaging in programs and services. Many of our clients have experienced unimaginable trauma, yet they continue to show up, demonstrating a level of resilience that is truly admirable.”
For resident clients like Jennifer, the value of writing with others in a WCC workshop is also clear: “Being able to explore your thoughts and ideas in a supportive and encouraging environment in this program has an immense emotional and psychological value.”
Salus Community Developer Marie Njie gets to the heart of the impact of social programming: “Every small step that clients take, like coming to a group or learning something new, gives us hope.”
A social prescription in action
“Writing is one of the most powerful tools in recovery, and specifically for those who are recovering from trauma. Recent research in trauma shows us that writing is part of how we can help process traumatic memories.”
– Papa Ladjiké Diouf, Director, Clinical Services, Salus
Hope is often associated with the WCC workshop experience. “Actually having something in common with other people week after week gives a feeling of belonging somewhere,” says Hotaru, a Salus client and workshop participant. “At least having somewhere to be gives [my] life meaning.”
This is the power of social prescribing—an innovative practice by which clinicians prescribe social programs or activities to their patients, bridging the gap between health care and community support. By providing opportunities to connect and reconnect with self and others, social prescriptions are often cited as a first step in healing.
Papa Ladjiké Diouf, Director, Clinical Services at Salus, says, “Writing is one of the most powerful tools in recovery, and specifically for those who are recovering from trauma. Recent research in trauma shows us that writing is part of how we can help traumatic memories.”
At Salus, Diouf says, programming addresses “the recovery journey through a package of services and therapies created depending on the client’s needs. The WCC writing workshops are included in the package of what we call Clinical Activities.” He adds, “the workshops are not just recreational, they are also therapeutic. Narrative therapy is being used to help with traumatic memories.”
Accessibility and inclusion are critical at Salus. Diouf is interested in providing services that support “specific minorities, like Francophones and Black communities. It is important to have activities that are open to those who have come from backgrounds of immigration and integration in a new community.”
Everyone is welcome in a WCC community writing workshop, even those who do not (yet) think of themselves as writers. This year, Salus and WCC plan to add French-language workshops for the organization’s Francophone clients.
Values-aligned programming
WCC facilitators uphold a workshop architecture that inspires creative expression, provides affirmation and encouragement, and models deep listening. These and other aspects of the program align with Salus’ values of dignity, security, equity, and inclusion.
Community Developer Michele Wozny recognized this alignment, enrolled in WCC facilitator training, then introduced WCC workshops at Salus. Since 2022, Salus has pioneered a multi-site workshop model through which Wozny delivers simultaneous workshops to its residences across the city.
Thanks to a hybrid delivery model, anyone at Salus can participate in person or online. Every week, Salus Community Developers gather people together in Resource Centres at a variety of Salus residences so that folks can write together in person. Michele goes on site to facilitate the workshop from any given location, while also connecting the participating Resource Centres with those writing from their own apartments, via a zoom link. This link is available to all Salus workers and residents.
“This unique hybrid model links various communities of participants to each other and also brings individuals into community by including those who choose to write alone in their homes,” Wozny explains. “Residents, case managers, community developers, rehabilitation workers, occupational therapists, support workers, and others all write together, supported by Salus.”
She adds, “In this manner, our writing community has so far reached six Community Resource Centres where dedicated Community Developers host and participate in the workshop. We have also welcomed individuals from Transitional Housing, Shared Living and those who live more independently in Salus supported apartments. On-site supports in particular help tenants to be successful in maintaining their housing and in rebuilding their lives.”
Doug Grundman, Executive Director at WCC, says, “Michele illustrates the impact that a single WCC facilitator can have. Each facilitator provides writing experiences to countless individuals and underserved communities. At Salus, Michele is connecting a geographically dispersed community and bringing residents and staff together to share their humanity outside of a clinical context.”
Eroca, a Salus resident who participates in the writing workshops, speaks to the impact of the service: “The psychological value for me comes from the ease and freedom to express oneself authentically with no worries about what others may or may not agree with or approve of.” She most appreciates “the relaxed atmosphere for unfettered co-creation.”
Partners in social change
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health leaders continue to warn of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation. It is estimated that “More than 80% of a person’s health depends on social determinants like adequate food, housing, income, and relationships with others…social prescribing bridges the gap between medical health and social care,” as documented in the 2025 Social Prescribing in Canada Report.
Within this urgent context, the WCC community writing workshop program is being adopted as a powerful social prescription. Independent multi-year evaluations prove that it creates deep connection, increases resilience, and strengthens self-advocacy among community members. Daily anecdotes from the front lines reinforce the research.
Calvin Gutkin MD, a founding member of the WCC Board of Directors, directly connects social and health outcomes: “A major component of anxiety and depression is a loss of self-esteem—the feeling that one’s identity and value to others is diminished. Ongoing studies are showing the benefit of non-medical ‘social’ interventions in helping people re-establish their connections with both their inner selves and the world around them. Doing so provides a greater power to cope with and overcome underlying physical and mental-health challenges.”
Program partners like Salus are keystones in ensuring that WCC workshops reach those who need them most. Through care, infrastructure, and innovation, these partners provide access to WCC workshops where, when, and in ways that those in greatest need can benefit.
We invite you to learn more about becoming a WCC Program Partner, and see the hundreds of organizations across the country who have partnered with us.
About Salus
Salus has been an unwavering champion for people living with mental illness for more than 45 years. Salus provides a first step in the recovery process—a stable home environment—including a transitional rehabilitation program, shared homes and independent living. They also provide mental health programs and services that are customized to meet each client’s unique needs on their journey to well-being and independence. Salus has been a WCC partner since 2022. https://www.salusottawa.org/