Tips for screening in a group

Promote the Event | Tips for Facilitators | Before the Screening
After the Screening | Wrap-up | After the Event

Promote the Event

Event Poster. In theCommunity Toolkit, there is a poster to promote your event or support group. Printed posters are shipped with the Toolkit packages. The poster is also available in the Community Toolkit section of the website as a PDF file. This file can be printed in color on 11x17 poster paper at your local copy and print store.
Event Fliers. In the Community Toolkit section of the website, there is a flier that can be printed from your computer on 8.5x11 paper. Print the flier, add your event details and copy as many times as you like to post around your community.
Web & Email. Post the event on your organization’s website, message board, or e-newsletter. Send a email about the event to your listserve or contacts. Include a link to the project website www.mengetdepression.com.
Radio. Send information about the event to your local radio station.
Newspaper. Send information about the event to your community newspaper.

Tips for Facilitators

Plan Ahead. Plan each step of the event ahead of time. Watch the videos and decide which will be most relevant to your audience or plan to show individual clips or stories from the different programs.
Provide a Take-Away. If you have gotten a community toolkit from the campaign, you will have 29 additional DVDs you can hand out to participants to take home. If you do not have extra DVDs, you can print out the resource booklet that is on your copy of the DVD as a PDF or you can download it from the website. You can copy this booklet as many times as you like and bring the copies to the event. You can create a sheet with local mental health resources listed to copy and hand out. You can also encourage participants to visit the project website www,mengetdepression.com
Invite a Mental Health Professional. A mental health professional or resource person can really add a lot to an event. If you are able to get one to attend, allow time for Question and Answer with this person after the screening.
Encourage Group Discussion. Tell the audience that:
Everyone’s comments are important
Please don’t use strong or profane language or judge anyone else’s ideas
Try to speak one at a time and use active listening skills
Remember that not everyone will agree; each person comes to the group with unique experiences
Engage Participants. Remember that your role is to get everyone engaged in the conversation, try not to dominate the discussion, and try not to lecture.
Gather Participant Questions: Attendees may have excellent questions of their own, but feel blocked by stigma to ask them. Hand out 3x5 cards to encourage questions and maintain anonymity.
Stay on Schedule. Wrap up the screening on time.
Get Feedback. There are two surveys that are in the Community Toolkit. One is for you, the host of the event, to fill out. The other is for the participants to fill out. You will need to make copies of the participant survey before the event.

Before the Screening

Before starting the DVD, share some information about the project and the videos. Let people know what the agenda for the event is
Let everyone know you will be passing out a participant survey at the end of the event because getting their feedback is very important.
If you have copies of the DVD, booklet or other take-away, let participants know they’ll be getting some resources at the end of the event to take home with them.
Ask people to keep questions in mind while watching the program. This helps to focus their attention on what they’re about to see.
Let them know that you have a list of questions that will be discussed after the DVD has been shown.
Write the questions on a chalkboard or on a poster-board before the event so that they are visible while people watch the DVD.
As soon as the video is over, start the discussion using the list of discussion questions as a guide.

After the Screening

Here are some questions for discussion:

What is depression?
What are some common myths about depression?
What causes depression?
What are some of the unique stresses for men ages 18-30, for men ages 30-55, for men ages 55+?
What are some symptoms of depression, especially among men?
What are some different treatments for depression?
What are some of the problems that men face as they try to seek treatment?
In addition to medical treatments, what else can people with depression do to feel better?
What is stigma and what impact does it have?
How might you talk with someone about depression?
How can family members help men to get the treatment they need for depression?
What are signs of suicide that we need to be aware of?
If we see any signs of suicide what should we do about it?
If you are convinced that a man you know is depressed and is not getting treatment, what steps can you take to help him realize he needs treatment and look for help?
How can spouses/partners, family, and friends support men with depression without nagging?
What can we do to challenge stigma and myths surrounding depression and other mental illnesses?

Wrap-up

If you have a mental health professional or resource person at the event, allow time for Question and Answer with this person.
Provide everyone with a participant survey and collect them before participants leave.
Hand out your take-away item(s) like DVDs or booklets as the surveys are turned in.
End the event. Thank everyone for coming!

After the Event

Fill out the host survey describing the event, reporting on attendance and demographics. Survey information is vital to our efforts, so that we know how the activities have affected community participants.

Mail your completed host survey and the participant surveys to:
Men Get Depression Outreach Campaign
c/o State of the Art
2861 29th St, NW
Washington, DC 20008

Thanks for sharing this important resource with your community!