George Brown College now delivers culinary training to people receiving treatment at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).
The culinary professionals teaching the classes are graduates of George Brown's Augmented Education Culinary Skills (Preparatory Training) program at the Centre for Preparatory and Liberal Studies. The free program prepares people with complex mental health and addiction histories to find and maintain employment in the food service industry.
Nuha Hameed, a 2011 graduate, and Christopher Davis, a 2012 graduate, returned to George Brown after they completed the program to work in Augmented Education culinary labs. Now, they are leading the CAMH culinary program.
"I am grateful for the confidence I gained from supportive instructors and job coaches who helped me take the next step forward in my culinary career," Hameed said. "Through the CAMH culinary program, I hope to share my knowledge and skills to help others start their pathways into the culinary industry."
Davis said he considers the Augmented Education program "life-changing."
"Being able to teach the knowledge I have gained in the culinary industry and give back to people who are in the same shoes I once was in feels like everything has come full circle," he said. "I hope I can inspire some people the way I have been inspired."
Augmented Education embeds extra support, including job coaches, into the programs to promote student success. Before COVID-19, the programs had an 82 per cent employment rate six months after graduation.
CAMH cooking classes this fall
The six-week culinary program at the CAMH Queen Street West site started on November 1. Two four-hour sessions are delivered each week.
Augmented Education Program Manager Suzanne De Freitas said this project had been five years in the making and the pandemic delayed the start of classes, initially set to begin in the fall of 2020.
The new kitchen is located on the bottom floor of the CAMH building, in an area called the therapeutic neighbourhood, where other activities and classes are offered.
"It's a great inspiration for the students to see someone who was where they are now," De Freitas said.
