The Men & Project Is
Committed to Helping Men Strengthen Their Lives
Men & is a robust tool for mental and relational well-being for men and collective community care. A social venture from Forge Centre for Dignity-Driven Leadership, Men & works with government & agencies to engage communities across Canada with data-driven interventions and resources that offer trustable, reliable support to men, forging healthier communities and contributing to long-term violence prevention.
Through incredibly useful evidence-based tools, clear pathways for help, healing and learning, Men & enables individuals, communities and organizations to bravely support men’s emotional, mental and relational well-being so that men can transform their pain and live more connected, healthy, and purposeful lives.
The Men & Project Offers…
Men & Website
A free and accessible content and resource hub.
The Men & Toolkit
Self-guided interactive workbooks, tools and courses.
The Mensline
A 24-hour talk and text resource.
Community Engagement Strategy
Learning events for practitioners, community conversations and consultation supporting communities to reimagine how they support men.
The Men & Registry
A national map and regional and city-based registry of free and low-cost resources.
Men & Cards
Cards to access robust tools of support, handed out by law enforcement and community agencies.
Support for Law Enforcement
We support law enforcement with our law enforcement playbook, card strategy and working in concert with community agencies.
The Men & Project Approach
The traditional services, programs and approaches to engaging men haven’t been working. We knew we had to take a more generative approach, one in which we didn’t assume to have the answers, but sought them, together with the men who needed them the most.
For over a decade, we’ve brought curiosity, creativity and rigour to uncovering approaches that actually work to cultivate healthier communities with healthier men. We continue to learn how to ask better questions with men and engage communities across the country, ensuring all resources and interventions are grounded in practice-based evidence.
Dignity-Driven Leadership is at the core of our approach.
Our Mission with the Men & Project is to change the culture of help-seeking for men and to raise the level of quality of tools and services available. Through the Men & Project, we’re changing how communities, professionals and workplaces engage men for mental and social health and nonviolence.
The Outcomes we are driving for:
-
- To build capacity within organizations and with professionals to effectively engage men.
- To enable community activation of peer & professional support for men’s mental and social health.
- To amplify men’s mental, social and family violence prevention services
- To support professionals with tools and strategies to more effectively engage and create better outcomes with men
- To enable workplaces to better support men and create dignity-driven cultures
The Men & Project Background
We asked many questions of ourselves and of the men we wanted to help over several years. Questions like:
- How can we better engage men in healing and nonviolence?
- How can we ensure the right kinds of services and support are available?
- How can we improve practices of working with men in non-mandated settings?
National Map
A national map and regional and city-based registry of free and low-cost resources.
The Men & Toolkit
Self-guided interactive workbooks, tools and courses.
Men's Resource Line
Call 1-833-327-MENS (6367) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for help and support from one of our skilled and trained counsellors.
Community of Practice
The Community of Practice focuses on practices, tools and interventions that support healing, recovery and nonviolence. More than a newsletter we host webinars and in person learning events.
What our research found
Men will take up to 2 years looking online for do-it-yourself resources (tools, podcasts, forums etc) before they land in professionalized or community-based services – whether mandated or not.
Men & was designed to work at both meeting men online during this two year period and also being ready to support connection to resources when they’re ready. We aim to clearly show what’s available quickly and responsively; offer a positive non-shaming presence and provide do-it-yourself resources for men who aren’t ready to reach out to professional resources. Our 24-hour talk and text offers a human resource when men are ready.
Men & as a digital presence
The Men & Project Team
Founding Partners
Jeff St. John, PHD
Founder, Forge Centre for Dignity-Driven Leadership
Kim Ruse, MSW
CEO, Fear Is Not Love
Team
Brielle Batty Smith, BSW
Community Impact Lead
How You Can Help
Invite Men & to your Community
Join the Community
Support and Equip organizations, helpers, community advocates with tools to better support men
Learn About our Community Initiatives
Submit an Article/New Content Ideas Form
Articles that are submitted will be reviewed by our editorial committee.
Men & is Proudly Supported By
