CHOW Mental Health Amuse’ Course
Through 2023, CHOW is offering a unique Mental Health Amuse’ Course. These four hours of training are for industry workers and are meant to shine light on some of the most pressing issues affecting workplace wellness.
This course is created for food, beverage and hospitality workers BY food, beverage and hospitality workers.
We request a 15$ placeholder fee which will returned to you upon course completion. If you would like to donate your placeholder fee to CHOW upon completion, please let your instructor know. We will gratefully accept your donation!
We will be offering these trainings in compact four hour blocks as well as split into two sessions of two hours each to allow for flexible scheduling.
Monthly scheduled dates will be announced on social media and our newsletter and can always be found on our CHOW calendar.
Feel free to sign up here or visit our Eventbrite page at: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/chow-49162252563 to stay up to date with Amuse’ scheduling.
About Your Trainers
Fathima Dickerson
Trainer
Fathima Dickerson was born and raised near the Five Points neighborhood in Denver, CO. She is a 2005 graduate of Denver East High School, and she received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Metropolitan State College of Denver in 2010. In 2021 Fathima received her Master of Social Sciences with a concentration on Women and Gender Studies from the University of Colorado at Denver. Fathima is currently part owner of her family restaurant, Welton Street Café, where she oversees the front of the house along with many other behind the scenes duties and public relations. Fathima, along with her other siblings, worked at Welton Street Café from a young age, where she was able to learn her trade from her mother and father.
Jessica Dean
Trainer
I come from the back of the house in many wine related restaurants and have worked with many different chefs, cooks, and owners. The thing that stands out to me is that no matter what the location I worked at was, I always found struggle. Struggle with mental health, emotions, communication, substances, you name it. Because I’ve had my own personal experience with mental health and watched a close family member struggle to the end of her life with it as well, I choose to educate others on how they can deal with their own wellness and where to find the support they need!
Billy Voges
Trainer
I am a current bartender but a future counselor. I am pursuing a degree in Mental Health Counseling from Boston University. I’ve worked in restaurants for 8 years and am here to give back to the industry that has taught me so much.
Sharon Daniel
Trainer
After 35 years in the restaurant industry, I am now certified as a recovery peer support specialist. To me, the Amuse Course brings together all the aspects of what is needed to lead us into a new generation of a healthy and safe industry where all aspects of health are supported respected.
“Socks”
Trainer
Hello, I’m Socks. As a 25+ years industry vet and a person in active recovery I understand firsthand the importance of mental wellness and balance in life. Through my work with CHOW not only have I found the support and resources I need to continue on my journey in a positive way, but I have also found a place to give back to an industry I love so much.
Amuse’ Course Sessions
Why Get Involved?
Come to a CHOW meeting if you’re feeling something you can’t share with coworkers, friends or family. Come to a CHOW meeting to meet with your restaurant family and talk about what is working and what isn’t working in your life. Come to a CHOW meeting if you’re feeling lonely.
Like physical health, we all have a state of mental health, Let’s talk about it!
How To Volunteer
Your time is valuable and you want to put it to good use. Why not invest it in the important work of making sure our community focuses on their mental health? It’s easy, fun, and so important in our ability to get the word out. Contact us to find out about volunteer opportunities.
Opportunities
CHOW is looking for Part time Spanish Speaking Meeting Facilitators (Experienced Peer Offering Support) – About 3-5 hours/week. Pay: $30/Hour
Are you interested in being an active part of the movement towards mental health? Would you like to learn how to run/facilitate meetings?
CHOW is seeking compassionate meeting facilitators AND can train you to be a CHOW EXPOS. We need someone fluent in Spanish.
Ours is a unique community of hospitality professionals. A year of work in the hospitality field is required. To ensure success as a CHOW EXPOS, you should be empathetic and possess exceptional interpersonal communication skills.
CHOW Peer Responsibilities:
-Attending weekly CHOW meetings, virtual or in-person.
-Documenting the number of attendees.
-Knowledge of local and national resources to assist members (Crisis, Unite Us, Detox, etc…)
-Willingness to learn to use and understand health information technology, i.e. GPRA
-Works with individuals and groups to provide personalized outreach, support, and education; introduces concepts of mental health, recovery, and wellness in hospitality settings.
CHOW is looking for volunteer hosts
CHOW would love a few volunteers with experience in the restaurant/hospitality industry. We are trying to create a welcoming space for virtual and in-person meetings, Mondays, 6-7pm amd Wednesdays 3-4pm (MST). Volunteers help to welcome attendees and build relationships. If you’re friendly, please apply using our contact page
CHOW is looking for bilingual volunteers
CHOW would love a few bilingual (Spanish/English) volunteers with experience in the restaurant/hospitality industry. We are trying to create a welcoming space for native Spanish speakers in our On-line Spanish meeting, Tuesdays, 6-7pm. Volunteers help to welcome attendees and build relationships. If you’re friendly, please apply using our contact page
CHOW necesita voluntarios bilingües
CHOW quisiera algunos voluntarios bilingües (español/inglés) con experiencia en la industria de restaurantes/hotelería. Estamos tratando de crear un espacio acogedor para los hablantes nativos de español en nuestra reunión de español en línea, los martes, de 6 a 7 p. m. Los voluntarios ayudan a dar la bienvenida a los asistentes y a construir relaciones. Si es amigable, presente su solicitud utilizando nuestro enlace “Contactar a CHOW”
Speakers and Writers:
“One day you’ll tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will become someone else’s survival guide.” – Brene Brown
We will share your speech or story with our community on our facebook page and website. There’s a saying, “there’s a lid for every pot.” Your story may be the one that reaches someone who needs to feel that community connection and gives them the strength to move on.
How To Become A Sponsor
Help us serve those who serve US by supporting wellness in the hospitality industry. Whether through long term sponsorship or individual donations, you can make an impact today!
Email erin@chowco.org to find out more
How CHOW will utilize your generous contribution
Wellness Opportunities
General Sponsorship, $1,000-30,000 | CHOW is a young nonprofit organization and it relies entirely on grants and donations. A general sponsorship donation will help us with all bills as they arrive. Everything from paying for our Zoom platform to paying our discussion facilitators. This style of donation allows our Council to utilize the funds in the manner that will best serve the organization.
Program Sponsorship, $5,000-30,000 | Help us spread CHOW to other cities. This donation would allow us to find and hire industry professionals to host meetings, spread printed material, and all aspects related to creating a CHOW chapter. Each CHOW meeting costs $5,000 for a year. These meetings help to create a community and give folks the opportunity to feel heard by their industry peers.
Outreach Opportunities
Newsletter, $500-$2500 | Help us fund our newsletter. Having our newsletter shared is an excellent way to ensure the inclusion of the multitude of restaurants, hotels, and distributors. The e-newsletter is full of information about all of the ways readers can get involved with meetings and classes, help themselves, get care, or volunteer. Sponsorship of the newsletter tells readers you are committed to advocating for better mental health in the restaurant industry.
Events, $1,000-$10,000 | CHOW will host several events a year to engage with the community and raise funds to keep our organization running. We’re planning a Wellness event, a concert, and a Harvest Festival in 2022. Sponsoring these events will ensure that more funds get to our programming. (There are also opportunities to present at these events.) Sponsors will be publicly acknowledged at the events, on social media, and on our website. They’re also a great way to spend time with our people outside the workplace.
Education Opportunities
“Expo” training $500-$10000 | CHOW’s “Expo” training is for someone who has walked the path of recovery from mental illness/substance use disorder and will be trained to assist others in their journeys of recovery. CHOW envisions having an “Expo” in every restaurant. Training costs $500/person. To pay the person while they take the course is an additional $200/person. Invest in the wellness of an entire company with this Sponsorship opportunity.
“Amuse” Mental Health Course Facilitation $800-$5000 | CHOW has a mental health and recovery training written by and for the hospitality industry. We use language and experiences that you’d encounter in the industry and offer skills based facilitated education meant to shine light on some of the most pressing issues affecting workplace wellness.
“Amuse” Mental Health Course Scholarship $120-$1200 | Folks work hard to make a living. Taking a course takes time, which costs money. Help us reduce the barriers for taking our Mental Health Amuse Course by paying staff for the time. $120 covers one person taking the class. CHOW will offer the scholarship to restaurants to support them supporting their staff that wants to support each other.
Long Term Collaboration
Your consistent monthly donation will allow for your organization to align itself with the mission of wellness and support within the hospitality industry.
Please email erin@chowco.org to discuss collaboration opportunities.
Donate
To keep our meetings and discussion groups free and accessible to all, we rely on grants and individual donations. Please give whatever you can and support mental wellness in the hospitality industry.
Start A Meeting
A fantastic way to get involved is to start your own meeting! If you would like to start a meeting in your area, please contact us and we will help you create a group. We will provide a welcome package including how to structure a meeting, ideas for fundraising, educational and branding material.
Workplace Wellness Toolkit Part 1
We’ve created a living toolkit that folks can use to implement Wellness techniques in the workplace. The toolkit encourages a healthy environment where employers and employees can work together to end stigma about wellness.
Let’s Talk About It!
Have a question? Looking to get involved as a business or individual? Get in touch with us and let us help you get the ball rolling towards making an impact on the mental health of your hospitality community!