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VOLUME
42: June2006 | online at www.cmha.bc.ca/enews/enewsjune06.htm
| Welcome
to MIND MATTERS, an electronic newsletter produced by the Canadian
Mental Health Association's BC Division office (CMHA) and delivered
monthly to your mailbox. In MIND MATTERS, we provide new resources
and programs offered by CMHA BC Division, 20 CMHA branches across
BC and news from partner agencies and like-minded organizations
committed to the mental health of British Columbians. |
MIND
MATTERS is completely free and your
e-mail address is not shared with any third party nor is it used
for other purposes other than delivering the e-newsletter. If
you would like to know more about our efforts to ensure your privacy
is maintained, please contact our office. Mind Matters wouldn't
be possible without support from donors and the help of gaming
revenue from the Province of British Columbia. To subscribe/unsubscribe,
visit www.cmha.bc.ca. |
CMHA
News
Help Us Build a Caring Community
CMHA BC Division Board Nominations Now Open
Awards Program Seeks Nominations
Art for Awards Program Launched: Seeking Painting Submissions
National Mental Health Report Released - and Applauded
CMHA BC Job Posting
CMHA Leads Homelessness Outreach Project
Mental Health Home Care Report from CMHA National
Nanaimo Trio Bikes Across Canada to Raise Funds For CMHA
CMHA Williams Lake Branch Selected as a Routes to Work
Site
CMHA North and West Vancouver Branch Seeking Board Members
Vancouver/Burnaby Branch Special Events
North Shore Health Lecture Series
Consumers In Action Program
An Evening of Hope: Living With Schizophrenia
CMHA Salmon Arm & District Branch Annual General
Meeting
CMHA Prince George's Annual General Meeting
New Issue of Visions on Alcohol
CMHA Ontario’s Network Magazine Explores Physical
and Mental Health
Thunder Bay Mental Health Groups Launch Anti-Stigma Program
Featured CMHA
Program :
CMHA Kelowna Gets 25
Bikes for Bike To Work Week
Canadian
Research
Early Treatment
Helps People With Schizophrenia
Light Therapy and Prozac Equally Effective Winter Depression
Cures
Bipolar Children Often Overlooked
One-in-Ten Ontario Students Has Considered Suicide
Lesbian Teens More Likely to Commit Suicide
Bipolar Teens Misread Facial Expressions
Vanity Sizing Can Play Havoc With Teen Self-Esteem
Seniors With Serious Mental Illness Adapt to Community
Living
SSRI Antidepressants May Increase Suicide Risk In Seniors
Mental Health Issues Increase for Workers
Report Draws Links Between Homelessness and Incarceration
Substance Use Costs Canadian Society Almost $40 Billion
Annually
Nurses Dealing With Compassion Fatigue
CMHA Mailbox:
CMHA's Impact on My Life
Research
From Around the World
No Single
Risk Factor for Violence by People with Schizophrenia
Psychiatric Outpatients Underdiagnosed for Dissociative
Disorders
Parental Smoking Linked to Mood Disorders in Children
Transition to Menopause Linked to Depressed Mood
Predicting Missed First Appointments After Hospitalization
Who Stays and Who Leaves Supportive Housing for People
with Mental Illness?
Keeping People Out of Jail is Goal of Mental Health and
Justice Model
Scientists Closer to Understanding How Prozac Works
New
Programs, Resources and Annoucements
Federal Government Announces New Funding For Housing
Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program Extended
Report on Women, Mental Health, Illness and Addiction
in Canada
Margaret Trudeau Reveals Struggle With Bipolar Disorder
BC Residents Recognized for Their Courage to Come Back
THEO Awards for Employees with Mental Illness and Their
Employers
BC Art Therapist and Psychologist Honoured
New Teen Psychiatry Unit in Kelowna
Mental Health Capacity Doubled in New Abbotsford Hospital
Vancouver Island to get Online Database of Mental Health
Records
Moving Lives Forward Scholarship
Support For Families of Youth Struggling With Substance
Misuse in Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows
New Dual Diagnosis Anonymous Support Groups in Surrey
and Vancouver
Postpartum Support in Campbell River
New Website Launched to Improve Kids’ Mental Health
Eating Disorders Resources for Practitioners and Fitness
Professionals
Tools for Preventing Discrimination in the Workplace
Keys to Healing: First Nations Wellness Newsletter
Tool for Mental Health Systems to Measure Recovery Orientation
2006 Mental Health Resource Guide for Greater Victoria
Child and Youth Mental Health Services Brochure
New Book on Shyness by Burnaby Author
Researchers Seeking People Living Well With Bipolar Disorder
Sea To Sky Peer Support Seeking Counsellors
Public
Education Events
Movie Mondays in Victoria
Caregiver Support Program
Word Mad Pride Festival
MDA of BC Education Evening – My Own Private Etibocoke
Courses
and Workshops
Helping the Helper
Non-profit Management Workshops
Showcasing Family Initiatives Workshop
Mental Health and the Movies
Conferences
Human Rights &
Accommodation 2006 Conference
UBC Department of Psychiatry Clinical Day
Business Health – Employee Health: Creating, Retention
and Renewal
Schizophrenia Society of Canada National Conference in
Winnipeg
International Gestalt Conference
Brain Development & Learning: Making Sense of the
Science Conference
CMHA
News
Help
Us Build a Caring Community [back to top]
We believe that a caring community heals and restores hope. From our
community clubhouses and support groups to public education campaigns
and supported housing projects - each of our valuable CMHA programs
is made possible through the support of our communities. You can help
us build a caring community with your donation. Challenge your friends,
family, colleagues, and neighbours to show that they believe in a caring
community as well. There are so many ways you can help. Find out how
at www.givehope.ca.
CMHA
BC Division Board Nominations Now Open – Due
June 10 [back to top]
Members of CMHA in BC are currently nominating candidates for 3 positions
on the CMHA BC Division
Board. If you would like to nominate a worthy individual or are interested
in becoming a member of our board, pick up a copy of the nomination
package at your local CMHA
branch, or download it from our website.
The results of the Board election will be announced at CMHA BC’s
Annual General Meeting on Saturday, September 16th, 2006 at Rosedale
On Robson, 838 Hamilton (at Robson), Vancouver, BC. Nominations are
due June 10. No late entries will be accepted.
Awards
Program Seeks Nominations – Due June 30
[back to top]
CMHA BC Division’s
Awards program is back. Do you know a person or organization committed
to the cause of mental health and the values that CMHA was founded on?
Of so, we’d like to recognize their outstanding work in the service
of mental health promotion and support for people with mental illnesses
and their families. The four award categories are Advocacy Award, CMHA
Champion's Award, Media Award and Work and Wellness Award. Visit www.cmha.bc.ca
to learn more and download the nomination form. Deadline for submissions
is June 30.
Art
for Awards Program Launched: Seeking Painting Submissions - Due
July 31
[back to top]
Artists with mental illness from across
BC are invited to submit their original paintings to CMHA
BC's new "Art for Awards" program. The new program honours
the tremendous talent and creative accomplishments of BC artists with
who also live with a mental illness. Four winning artists will be selected
to each receive a $500 prize and recognition at CMHA BC Division’s
Annual General Meeting on September 16, in Vancouver.
Artists may submit one painting, suitable for framing and
no larger than 20” x 24”, through a local CMHA branch. Artists
may choose to donate remaining their submitted artwork, apart from the
four winning entries awarded as prizes, to CMHA BC for auction to support
future awards events, or to have artwork returned to the artist. Visit
www.cmha.bc.ca or
call 604-688-3234 (from within the Lower Mainland) or 1-800-555-8222
for more information and CMHA
branch locations. Deadline for submissions is July 31.
National
Mental Health Report Released - and Applauded [back to top]
The May 9th release of the final Senate Committee report on mental health,
mental illness and addictions in Canada is a landmark effort to bringing
an all-too-often-forgotten part of out community and health care system
“out of the shadows at last.” Visit the Letters to the Editor
page to read CMHA
BC’s response and view CMHA
National’s response. The Standing Senate Committee on Social
Affairs, Science and Technology – chaired by Senator Kirby –
has been investigating the state of mental health and addictions services
for the past several years through a wide consultation process. Read
the full final report, Out
of the Shadows At Last, the Brief
Summary (press release), or the initial three reports
from 2004.
>> if care about mental health,
write to and visit your local MLA and MP to support the Kirby commission's
work and urge action on its major recommendations.
CMHA BC Job Posting - Applications
Due June 16
[back to top]
If You're interested in joining the CMHA
BC Division team, there is a job posting for the position of Director
of External Relations (fund development), which closes on June 16, 1006.
Visit the CMHA BC website
for full job posting.
CMHA
Leads Homelessness Outreach Project [back to top]
CMHA is proud to announce its partnership with BC’s Ministry of
Employment and income Assistance (MEIA) in a new project to reach more
individuals with mental illness and connect them with income, housing
and medical services. In addition to connecting homeless individuals
or those at risk of being homeless with the MEIA, CMHA staff will liase
with ministry staff to ensure current clients with mental health issues
have the appropriate supports. The project is being led by CMHA, which
is currently working with local CMHA branch offices to identify the
communities that will benefit. Outreach work will begin this September.
See “Government reaches out to people with mental illness,”
in PDF format at www.gov.bc.ca/mhr.
Mental
Health Home Care Report from CMHA National [back to top]
CMHA National has released
a report outlining recommendations for action on mental health home
care called “Home Care and Mental Health: From Policy to Action.”
The report comes out of a policy forum held in January 2006 with 43
key stakeholders from across Canada, including government policy-makers,
providers of home care and mental health services, and consumers and
family members. The recommendations include training more workers and
upgrading current ones; standardizing patient and program tracking;
integrating acute community mental health home care; and developing
continuity of care for people with acute and chronic mental illness.
“Home Care and Mental Health: From Policy to Action,” is
available in PDF format at www.cmha.ca.
Nanaimo
Trio Bikes Across Canada to Raise Funds For CMHA [back to top]
On May 1, three members of Departure Bay Road’s Hope Lutheran
Church, Jan Nilsson, Gerry Owen and Charlie Fox, embarked on their "Ride
into the Light" cross-country bike tour to raise awareness and
reduce stigma of mental illness across the country and to raise funds
to support the projects of local CMHA in the communities they visit.
The "Ride into Light" trio plans to arrive in St. John’s
ML on August 3rd. To keep track of their journey, visit www.hopelutherannanaimo.org.
CMHA
Williams Lake Branch Selected as a Routes to Work Site
[back to top]
CMHA
Williams Lake Branch has been selected as a site for CMHA
National's Routes to Work project. Routes to Work is designed to
help people with mental illness secure mainstream employment. Through
Routes to Work, CMHA National will be working with CMHA Williams Lake
Branch to research and implement innovative employment support programs
and services for people with mental illness. Read more on the Routes
to Work program, as well as articles and guides on employment and return-to-work
strategies at www.cmha.ca.
CMHA
North and West Vancouver Branch Seeking Board Members
[back to top]
CMHA North and West
Vancouver Branch is seeking volunteer board members with experience
in public relations, fundraising, law enforcement or community development.
For more information call 604-987-6959.
Vancouver/Burnaby
Branch Special Events [back to top]
CMHA Vancouver/Burnaby
Branch's Recreation Services Program provides opportunities for
adults who are living with mental illness to participate in recreation
and experience the benefits of leisure. The following special events
take place at or depart from the Vancouver Recreation Office at 175
West Broadway. Please call (604) 872-3148 to register for two of the
following events. Please note that residents of Vancouver will be given
priority for registration.
June 8 – Men's Night Out
June 9 – Vancouver White Caps vs.
Miami FC
June 15 – Yuk Yuk's
June
16 – English Bay Picnic
June 19 – Sunshine Coast Day Trip
June 22 – Gelato and Walk
June 26 – Bike Riding in Stanley
Park
June 28 – Scrapbook Lunchboxes
June 29– Summer Planning Sushi Night
North
Shore Health Lecture Series [back to top]
The free weekly Health Lecture Series organized by CMHA
North and West Vancouver meets on the 2nd floor of the John Braithwaite
Community Centre at 145 West 1st Street in North Vancouver (between
Chesterfield and Lonsdale Avenue). All lectures start at 7:00 PM. For
more information please phone (604) 987-6959 or visit www.cmhanwv.com.
June 7 – From Confusion to Clarity
in Four Simple Steps
June 14 – Healing Arts Therapy
June 21 – Taoist Tai Chi and Health
as Harmony
June 28 – Play, Stories and Fantasy
in Our Lives
Consumers
In Action Program [back to top]
The Consumers in Action Program offers people with mental illness the
opportunity to learn for leadership and advocacy skills. CMHA
White Rock/Surrey branch is currently offering the program on Mondays
at 1pm - 3pm at the Surrey Community Services, 9815 140th Street, Surrey
in Room 104 on the Main Floor. Call (604) 536-2486 to register for one
or all of the modules. For more information about the Consumers in Action
Program, visit www.nnmh.ca.
June 12 + 19 – Self-Help Development
An
Evening of Hope: Living With Schizophrenia – June
12 + 13 [back to top]
CMHA Richmond Branch,
in partnership with BC Schizophrenia Society and and Vancouver Coastal
Mental Health Services invites you to attend a free event at which Bill
MacPhee, Winner of the 2004 NAMI Lionel Aldridge Award, will speak candidly
about the effects of schizophrenia, describing what it is like to be
paranoid, have hallucinations, become frustrated, depressed and suicidal,
as well as how through determination and perseverance, and the support
of family and friends, he has gained control of his illness. For more
information, contact Barbara Fee at (604) 276-8834 or email bfee@cmha-rmd.com.
June
12 - Richmond -
7pm – 9pm at the Ralph fisher Auditorium, Richmond Hospital, 7000
Westminster Highway.
June
13 - Vancouver
- 7pm – 9pm at the Eye Care Centre Auditorium, Vancouver
General Hospital.
CMHA
Salmon Arm & District Branch Annual General Meeting - June
22 [back to top]
Betty Kedding, Coordinator of the Concurrent Disorder Program, IHA -
North Okanagan Mental Health Services will be the guest speaker at CMHA
Salmon Arm Branch's Annual General Meeting, with her presentation on
"The Changing Faces of Mental Health Clients and Services."
Refreshments will be provided. 7pm at the Senior's Resource Centre #109,
Salmon Arm. For more information call (250) 832-8477.
CMHA
Prince George's Annual General Meeting - June
27 [back to top]
The Annual General meeting for CMHA
Prince George Branch is being held at 7pm in room 206 of the Civic
Centre. Election of Officers will take place at the meeting. For more
information call (250) 564-8644.
New Issue of Visions on Alcohol
[back to top]
Alcohol is one of our society's most accepted drugs, and yet its influences
can be devastating. This edition of Visions
looks at alcohol use and its personal, social and economic impacts and
its effects on mental and physical health. Articles in this issue explore
safe drinking guidelines, the link between alcohol and anxiety, nutrition
solutions, women and alcohol use, pregnancy and fetal alcohol spectrum
disorder, and the way we talk about alcohol. Different intervention
strategies are discussed, and programs dealing with alcohol abuse throughout
the province are described.
Visions is published by BC Partners for Mental
Health and Addictions Information, of which CMHA
BC is member. Visions is written by and for people who
have used mental health or addictions services, mental health service
providers, family and friends, and mental health and addictions leaders
and decision-makers, and provided free of charge to these same groups.
To view this issue of Visions online, or to subscribe visit www.heretohelp.bc.ca.
CMHA
Ontario’s Network Magazine Explores Physical and Mental Health
[back to top]
The most recent issue of CMHA
Ontario’s Network magazine, “Minding the Body:
The Relationship between Physical and Mental Health,” explores
the connection between physical and mental health. Topics include the
interplay between mental health and physical health issues such as fitness,
weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes. Read the Spring/Summer 2006
issue of Network online at www.ontario.cmha.ca.
Thunder
Bay Mental Health Groups Launch Anti-Stigma Program [back to top]
A partnership of mental health groups in the Thunder Bay region, including
CMHA Thunder Bay
Branch, has recently launched a mental health public education project,
“with an OPEN mind.” The “with an OPEN mind”
website contains personal experiences, facts about health and mental
illness, and a section on the role of media in shaping the public’s
attitudes toward people with mental illness, including a list of positive
and negative portrayals of mental illness in films and television shows.
See www.withanopenmind.com.
| Featured CMHA Program:
CMHA Kelowna Gets 25 Bikes for Bike To Work Week
 |
|
It
all started with a request by the Canadian Mental Health
Association to participate in Kelowna's Bike to Work Week.
However, many people with mental illness are on limited
incomes and don't have bikes.
"That's when I got to thinking
that all of us in the KickStart coalition could work together
and make this happen,"said the City of Kelowna's community
recreation co-ordinator, Scott Isfan. |
"I approached Bicycles for Humanity,
which works with Rotary, and the Central Okanagan Brain Injury
Society and Kelowna Cycle, and we'll be able to get 25 bikes to
those with mental illness during Bike to Work Week."
At the Bike to Work celebration station
for cycling commuters technicians from Larry's Cycle were on hand
to perform safety checks and minor tune-ups. The crew from Larry's
stayed for an extra hour to perform safety checks on the 25 bikes
for the mentally ill.
"This is an incredible partnership
and opportunity for members of our programs to be active and stay
active," said Shelagh Turner of the Canadian Mental Health
Association. "Having a decent bike is a luxury many members
of our clubhouse cannot afford."
The 25 bikes given out constitute
a small percentage of the 1,300 bikes Kelowna's Bicycles for Humanity
has collected during the past few months. The program is the brainchild
of Pat and Brenda Montani, who originally collected some used
bikes to go to Mexico with the church group they were in.
That gave the Kelowna couple the idea
to start Bicycles for Humanity and partner with service group
Rotary. The program collected used bikes in B.C. towns and brought
them into Kelowna for distribution. The main place to warehouse
all the bikes is Ehmann Printing, but the Montani garage always
tends to be stuffed with dozens of bikes as well.
"We asked for donations of ridable
bikes, and people came through," said Brenda Montani. "We
collected 1,300 bikes, and two container loads of 430 bikes each
have already gone off to Africa. The Canadian Mental Health Association
project represents a small number of bikes for us, but it's a
very worthwhile program."
June is Bike
Month! For Bike Month events in your
area, visit the Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST)
website at www.best.bc.ca.
Find out how you can help support
this and other great CMHA programs in your community at www.cmha.bc.ca.
Excerpted from
Macnaull, S. (2006, April 30). People with mental illness can
now pedal with the rest. The Okanagan Sunday, p. A1. |
Canadian
Research
Early Treatment Helps People With Schizophrenia
[back to top]
London, ON scientists have found the faster people are treated after
they start experiencing the symptoms of schizophrenia, the better the
outcome. Norman and his colleagues in the Prevention and Early Intervention
for Psychoses, part of the mental-health care program at London Health
Sciences Centre, have been following 200 patients with schizophrenia
for two years. In addition to earlier treatment, they found the more
social supports an individual has the better the results for the patient
in the long term with individuals recovering faster. See “Early
treatment helps schizophrenics,” at chealth.canoe.ca.
Light Therapy and Prozac Equally Effective
Winter Depression Cures [back to top]
For people who suffer from winter depression, the most common type of
seasonal affective disorder, bright-light therapy and Prozac are equally
effective, Canadian researchers report in the American Journal of
Psychiatry. The study is not the first to evaluate bright-light
therapy and Prozac as treatments for winter depression, yet few have
directly compared the two, lead author Dr. Raymond W. Lam from the Mood
Disorders Centre in Vancouver, BC, and colleagues note in their paper.
See "Beat the winter blues with lights and Prozac," at www.thestar.co.za.
Bipolar Children Often Overlooked
[back to top]
A recent complaint about the Alberta Children's Hospital highlights
the challenges for parents of children who may have bipolar disorders,
an American mental health expert says. Dr. Barbara Gellar, a psychiatry
professor, says parents around the world face doubts from healthcare
workers who should be better educated about the latest research. Gellar
says accurate diagnosis of bipolar children is a problem, and notes
that young patients can become suicidal if they aren't treated properly.
See “Bipolar children often overlooked,” at www.cbc.ca.
One-in-Ten Ontario Students Has Considered
Suicide [back to top]
A study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that
about one in 10 students (representing more than 100,000 across Ontario)
said they seriously considered suicide during the previous 12 months.
The 2005 Ontario Student Drug Use Survey also found that 30% of students
surveyed reported elevated psychological distress, while 27% reported
setting something on fire at least once during the previous year. See
“One-in-Ten Ontario Students Reports Poor Mental Health,”
at www.camh.net
or view the full
report.
Lesbian Teens More Likely to Commit Suicide
[back to top]
Lesbian teens are nearly five times more likely to attempt suicide than
heterosexual girls, according to a BC survey of 30,000 students between
grades 7 and 12 done by the BC-based McCreary Centre Society in 2003.
The survey found 38 per cent of lesbian girls and 30.4 per cent of bisexual
girls said they had attempted suicide in the previous year, compared
to 8.2 per cent of heterosexual girls. See “Lesbian teens more
likely to commit Suicide,” at www.canada.com.
Bipolar Teens Misread Facial Expressions
[back to top]
Teens with bipolar disorder are more likely to misread neutral facial
expressions as hostile, a brain scanning study shows. The study, published
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also
suggests the disorder likely stems from impaired brain circuits, as
thought to be the case with schizophrenia. While difficulties processing
facial expressions could account for the poor social skills, aggression
and irritability often seen in children with the disorder, researchers
also also note that medication taken by participants with bipolar disorder
could be causing the effect. See “Bipolar teens misread facial
expressions,” at www.cbc.ca.
Vanity Sizing Can Play Havoc With Teen Self-Esteem
[back to top]
Vanity sizing - the retail phenomenon of labelling clothes with a smaller
size - ostensibly intended to flatter, can distort one's body image
and self-esteem with devastating consequences, warns a psychiatrist
with the eating disorders program at Toronto General Hospital. See “Vanity
sizing can play havoc with teen self-esteem,” at chealth.canoe.ca.
Seniors With Serious Mental Illness Adapt
to Community Living [back to top]
A study of 33 seniors with serious mental illness who were transferred
from a psychiatric hospital to community housing facilities reports
that their quality of life was positive up to two years after the move,
which shows that they were able to adapt to living in the community.
The study, published in Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal,
revealed that overall there was no significant decline in psychiatric
symptoms, cognitive functioning or activities of daily living, the individuals
were highly satisfied with their life in a community residence and they
expressed a strong preference to living in a community facility rather
than a psychiatric hospital. See “Adjustment to Community Residential
Settings over Time among Older Adults with Serious Mental Illness.”
An abstract with paid access to the full text is available online at
prj.metapress.com.
>> if the topic of seniors and mental health interests
you, check out the Visions Journal
issue on Seniors'
Mental Health in our Journal archives on the CMHA
BC website or the HeretoHelp.bc.ca
website.
SSRI Antidepressants May Increase Suicide Risk
In Seniors [back to top]
Elderly people who take a popular type of antidepressants are almost
five times more likely to commit suicide than those on other antidepressants,
concludes a major new Canadian study that adds to the controversy around
the drugs known as SSRIs. The study also found that almost 70% of elderly
people who had committed suicide had taken no antidepressants, and experts
warned there is a large group of truly depressed people not getting
the help they need. The researchers stress that pills like Prozac, Zoloft
and Effexor are still life savers for most seriously depressed seniors
and say the suicidal side-effects are rare. But over-prescription of
SSRIs to older people who do not really need them may be exposing some
to an unnecessary risk of self-harm. See “Drugs linked to suicide
among seniors,” at www.canada.com.
See “Risk of Suicide With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors
in the Elderly,” in the May issue of American Journal of Psychiatry.
An abstract with paid access to the full-text is available at ajp.psychiatryonline.org.
Mental Health Issues Increase for Workers
[back to top]
Money worries are turning Canadian workers into stressed-out employees
too worried about losing their jobs - and paycheques - to take time
off for sickness or pleasure, a new survey says. The telephone poll
of 1,500 Canadians, commissioned by life- and health-insurance company
Desjardins Financial Security, found most respondents are placing their
jobs before family and friends and many believe financial concerns are
upsetting their work-life balance. Nearly two-thirds of workers with
health problems resulting from mental health issues, such as stress
and depression, say they go to work even when they're ill rather than
taking time off to recover. They are worried about losing income, getting
behind in their work or damaging their reputation as not committed to
their jobs. See "Mental health issues increase for workers,"
at www.canada.com,
available with paid subscription to The Province. See also
"The 'presenteeism' problem," at www.canada.com.
>>
mark the date for the 2007 Bottom Line Conference
- March 6 + 7 -
for a day of inspiration, insight and information
on improving mental health in the workplace.
Report Draws Links Between Homelessness and
Incarceration [back to top]
According to the report, “Justice and Injustice: Incarceration
and Homelessness in Toronto,” more than 800 people a year in Toronto
are discharged from a correctional facility and end up at a homeless
shelter because they have no place to live.The researchers also report
that many people who get involved with the criminal justice system come
from marginalized, isolated and poor” communities and often struggle
with addiction and mental health problems. See a summary of the report’s
findings at www.johnhowardtor.on.ca.
>> if the topic of mental health and the criminal
justice system interests you, check
out the Visions Journal issue on Criminal
Justice in our Journal archives on the CMHA
BC website or the HeretoHelp.bc.ca
website.
Substance Use Costs Canadian Society Almost
$40 Billion Annually [back to top]
According to a recent report by the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
(CCSA), abuse of tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs costs Canadians
$39.8 billion annually (based on 2002 data). Broken down by substance,
the study revealed that legal substances (tobacco and alcohol) account
for 79.3 percent of the total cost of substance abuse and illegal drugs
make up the remaining 20.7 percent. Tobacco causes the greatest cost
($17 billion), compared to alcohol ($14.6 billion) and illegal drugs
($8.2 billion). See the news release and highlights from “The
Costs of Substance Abuse in Canada 2002” at ccsa.ca.
>> if the topic of substance abuse interests you,
check out the Visions Journal issues on Alcohol
and Concurrent
Disorders in our Journal archives on the CMHA
BC website or the HeretoHelp.bc.ca
website.
Nurses Dealing With Compassion Fatigue
[back to top]
The emotional stress of working with sick and dying patients is taking
its toll on the mental health of nurses, says a researcher studying
a phenomenon known as "compassion fatigue." Typically associated
with psychologists, social workers and paramedics, compassion fatigue
refers to the emotions, behaviours and other psychological effects of
dealing with patients in pain and suffering. And it can also have a
significant impact on nurses, says Brenda Sabo of Dalhousie University,
author of a paper in the June issue of the International Journal
of Nursing Practice. See “Nurses dealing with ‘compassion
fatigue,’” at chealth.canoe.ca.
| CMHA Mail Box:
CMHA's Impact On My Life
My name is Don, and I have been coming to CMHA in Vernon for
8 months. Without the benefit of coming here, I would have no
place to go during the day and I would most likely isolate in
my apartment or wander the streets of Vernon aimlessly.
CMHA provides a wide variety of benefits to me, including structure
to my day, a place to meet and talk with fellow clients and with
friendly, helpful and supportive staff as well. It also offers
the opportunity of doing volunteer work in whatever interest you
have.
As well, I have observed other clients with far more severe
mental disabilities than myself, who have remarked to me how much
they need CMHA in their lives. I know this myself for when I wake
up in the morning during the week, I have enough energy and hope
because I know I have CMHA to go to. But on weekends I wake up
and just lie in bed because I don't have CMHA to go to.
I hope this letter will give you insight from the perspective
of a client of CMHA, as to the value that CMHA has to me.
Sincerely,
Don, Vernon
Do you
have a story to share about a CMHA branch, program or resource?
Email MindMatters at mindmatters@cmha.bc.ca.
|
Research
from around the World
No
Single Risk Factor for Violence by People with Schizophrenia [back to top]
Rather than a single risk factor, a variety of factors, including clinical
symptoms and social factors, are associated with acts of violence by
people with schizophrenia, according to a study published in the Archives
of General Psychiatry. It is therefore important to understand
the consumer as a "whole person," including their specific
psychiatric symptoms, their life history and their social environment,
researchers say. Some risk factors for serious violence included younger
age, conduct problems in childhood and having a history of arrest. People
with more severe positive psychotic symptoms had higher rates of engaging
in serious violence. See "A National Study of Violent Behavior
in Persons with Schizophrenia." An abstract with paid access to
the full text is available at archpsyc.ama-assn.org.
Psychiatric
Outpatients Underdiagnosed for Dissociative Disorders [back to top]
A study published in the April issue of American Journal of Psychiatry
found that dissociative disorders were highly prevalent among patients
at an outpatient psychiatric clinic, and that standard screening tools
did not catch patients who were later diagnosed with dissociative disorder
through a structured interview. The authors say their results suggest
that the method of offering an interview to every patient, while more
time consuming, may give more accurate diagnoses. See "Prevalence
of Dissociative Disorders in Psychiatric Outpatients." An abstract
with paid access to the full text is available at ajp.psychiatryonline.org.
Parental
Smoking Linked to Mood Disorders in Children [back to top]
Parents who smoke not only risk making themselves sick, they could be
making their children depressed, anxious or aggressive. Cincinnati scientists
who studied 225 children, ages five to 11, found those with the highest
levels of exposure to tobacco smoke had more behaviour problems, such
as fidgeting, acting out and not paying attention in school. See “Parental
smoking linked to depression and anxiety in children,” at www.canada.com.
Transition
to Menopause Linked to Depressed Mood [back to top]
According to a recent study published in the April issue of Archives
of General Psychiatry, the transition to menopause and changes
in hormone levels are strongly associated with the onset of depressed
mood amoung women with no history of depression. Results from the study
showed that women in the menopausal transition were more than four times
more likely to report depressive symptoms than during premenopause.
See “ Association of Hormones and Menopausal Status with Depressed
Mood in Women with No History of Depression." An abstract with
paid access to the full-text is available at www.archpsyc.ama-assn.org.
Predicting
Missed First Appointments After Hospitalization [back to top]
In a study published in the April edition of Psychiatric Services,
researchers found four factors that predict whether a consumer will
miss a first appointment in a community mental health centre after being
discharged from a hospital following psychiatric illness. The four factors
are not having an established link to a clinician in the community;
problems related to the consumer’s primary support group, such
as a death or health problems in the family; the number of days from
the hospital discharge to the follow-up appointment; and discharge after
a short-term period of involuntary hospitalization or leaving against
medical advice. See “Predictors of Missed First Appointments at
Community Mental Health Centers after Psychiatric Hospitalization.”
An abstract with paid access to the full text is available at ps.psychiatryonline.org.
Who
Stays and Who Leaves Supportive Housing for People with Mental Illness?
[back to top]
Why people leave permanent supportive housing and what happens to them
is the principal focus of a long-term study published recently by the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The study followed
formerly homeless residents of supportive housing for people with mental
illness. The authors found that people who successfully left supportive
housing were more likely to have been users of support services while
staying in their supportive housing. Those who successfully completed
their stay indicated that their higher quality of housing and neighbourhood
helped them stay focused and avoid stressful situations. People who
left involuntarily, were more likely to have been unable to maintain
a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle, and to get along with fellow residents.
See "Predicting Staying In or Leaving Permanent Supportive Housing
That Serves Homeless People with Serious Mental Illness," available
in PDF format at www.huduser.org.
Keeping
People Out of Jail is Goal of Mental Health and Justice Model
[back to top]
A new model can help communities develop strategies to divert people
with mental illness from the criminal justice system to mental health
treatment, say researchers in Ohio. The Sequential Intercept Model was
developed over the past several years based on public health principles.
The model focuses on “points of interception,” which are
opportunities for mental health and criminal justice professionals to
intervene to prevent people from entering or going further into the
criminal justice system. The authors describe the model in the April
edition of Psychiatric Services. See “Use of the Sequential
Intercept Model as an Approach to Decriminalization of People with Serious
Mental Illness.” An abstract with paid access to the full text
is available at psychservices.psychiatryonline.org.
>> if the topic of mental health and the criminal
justice system interests you, check
out the Visions Journal issue on Criminal
Justice in our Journal archives or the HeretoHelp.bc.ca
website. You may also be interested in our fact
sheets on police and mental illness on the CMHA
BC website.
Scientists
Closer to Understanding How Prozac Works [back to top]
A team at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, New York,
found the drug triggers production of a type of immature brain cell.
They hope their work could aid development of new drugs and therapies
for depression, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
The study appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
See “Prozac effect on brain pinpointed,” at news.bbc.co.uk.
New
Programs, Resources and Announcements
Federal Government Announces New Funding
For Housing [back to top]
The government allotted up to $1.4 billion for housing in the federal
budget announced May 2, 2006. From the new funding, a one-time payment
of up to $800 million will go into an Affordable Housing Trust to increase
the supply of transitional and supportive housing. A further one-time
payment of up to $300 million will also be available to provinces through
the Off-Reserve Aboriginal Housing Trust to “increase the supply
of rental housing and enhance home ownership opportunities for Aboriginal
Canadians living off reserve.” All the trusts are contingent on
sufficient funds from the 2005-2006 surplus. Details of the 2006 federal
budget are at www.fin.gc.ca.
Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program Extended
[back to top]
Western Economic Diversification Canada has announced $7.75 million
to extend the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program to help disabled
individuals start and grow small businesses in Western Canada. The program,
which is offered through Community Futures Development Corporations
and urban delivery partners across the West, is designed to help entrepreneurs
with disabilities overcome their unique barriers through enhanced fundamental
business skills through self-assessment, business plan development,
counselling, mentoring, networking, and access to financing. See “Entrepreneurs
with Disabilities Program Extended,” at www.wd.gc.ca.
Report on Women, Mental Health, Illness and
Addiction in Canada [back to top]
An ad hoc working group organized by the Canadian Women’s Health
Network and the Centres of Excellence for Women’s Health has published
an overview of issues related to women, mental health, mental illness
and addiction in Canada. "Women, Mental Health, Mental Illness
and Addiction in Canada: An Overview" was written in response to
interim reports by the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs,
Science and Technology on mental health, mental illness and addiction
in Canada, prior to the Senate committee’s final report on May
9, 2006. See "Women, Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction
in Canada: An Overview," at www.cwhn.ca.
>> to read CMHA BC's response to the Senate Committee's
Final Report, visit the Letters
to the Editor page on the CMHA
BC website.
>> if the topic of mental health and the criminal
justice system interests you, check
out the Visions Journal issue on Women
in our Journal archives or the HeretoHelp.bc.ca
website.
Margaret Trudeau Reveals Struggle With Bipolar
Disorder [back to top]
Margaret Trudeau revealed for the first time at an Ottawa psychiatric
hospital that she has suffered from bipolar disorder for years. She
spoke at the Royal Ottawa Hospital on Friday morning to urge others
with mental illness to come forward and seek treatment. The former wife
of the late prime minister Pierre Trudeau says she tried to hide her
condition for decades, but came forward in hopes of dispelling the stigma
attached to mental illness. See “Margaret Trudeau reveals struggle
with bipolar disorder” at www.cbc.ca
and “Margaret Trudeau’s Secret War” at www.canada.com.
BC Residents Recognized for Their Courage
to Come Back [back to top]
The struggles and successes of six British Columbians were recognized
at the Coast Mental Health Foundation's Courage to Come Back event.
The awards honour six individuals who have achieved extraordinary comebacks
in each of the following categories: Mental Health, Physical Rehabilitation,
Medical, Addiction, Social Adversity and Youth. The black-tie evening
at the Hyatt Regency was co-hosted by former Olympic rower Silken Laumann
in Vancouver. See “6 success stories celebrated: B.C. residents
recognized for their Courage to Come Back” at www.canada.com.
THEO Awards for Employees with Mental Illness
and Their Employers [back to top]
Vancouver and Richmond locations of THEO BC will acknowledge distinguished
employers at the THEO Awards on June 7th at the Famous Players in the
heart of downtown Vancouver. THEO BC provides training, education and
job placement services to mental health and disabled communities in
British Columbia. Employers who have hired clients in the past year
on permanent and work experience placements will be invited to accept
an award for their partnership with THEO BC. Clients placed in permanent
employment and work experience placements in the last year will also
be awarded for their accomplishments. Congratulations to employers for
providing opportunities and to clients for all their achievements! For
more information contact Carla Marales at (604) 872-0770 or visit www.theobc.org.
BC Art Therapist and Psychologist Honoured
[back to top]
Victoria-based art therapist and psychologist Kay Collis, who treats
traumatized children and adults, was the recipient of the YMCA-YWCA
Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award. The Women of Distinction
Awards recognize the accomplishments of women from all corners of society
who have demonstrated vision and through their achievements inspired
others. Collis has worked in the mental health care field for 23 years.
In 1978, Collis founded the B.C. Art Therapy Association and the British
Columbia School of Art Therapy. She set up the art therapy program at
Eric Martin Pavilion in Royal Jubilee Hospital and currently works with
Task Group, creating a mandate for the ethical practice and education
standards for art therapists in B.C. See “Life’s work in
therapy earns psychologist top honours,” at www.canada.com.
New Teen Psychiatry Unit in Kelowna [back to top]
Seven months after it opened, the Adolescent Psychiatry Unit (APU) at
Kelowna General Hospital is full of teenage patients, and there's a
waiting list. Each year, about 700 adolescents are admitted to Interior
hospitals because of a mental health diagnosis. Before November, local
teens with severe depression or other mental illnesses had to visit
the mental health unit, where they may have been able see a psychiatrist.
Extreme cases were admitted to the hospital's pediatric unit or the
adult psychiatric unit, which lack staff who specialize in young people.
Now, APU patients get three hours of school instruction every weekday,
they play basketball on the rooftop courtyard, read books from a library
and watch movies. As of late April, 45 teens were referred to the unit,
and 30 had been admitted. The new program is young, but no patient has
attempted suicide or been referred back to the unit. For more information
on the APU visit www.interiorhealth.ca.
Mental Health Capacity Doubled in New Abbotsford
Hospital [back to top]
When the new Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre opens it
will double the existing hospital's mental health capacity, expanding
from 20 to 40 beds for mental health patients. The planned facilities
will address capacity limitations, wait times for psychiatric admissions
and challenges with observing patients. The mental health facilities
at the new hospital will include and in-patient unit, psychiatric intensive
care unit, adolescent psychiatric unit, clinical decision unit in the
emergency room, and an expanded out-patient area. The larger mental
health facilities will result in increased staffing levels, including
more specialty staff such as a clinical psychologist, clinical pharmacist
and clinical nurse specialist. For an overview of the project, visit
www.abbotsfordhospitalandcancercentre.ca.
Vancouver Island to get Online Database
of Mental Health Records [back to top]
A $2.7-million project will get the health records of Vancouver Island
residents with mental illness and addictions into a secure database
for easy access of clinicians. The project – the first of its
kind in Canada – is the result of a partnership between the Vancouver
Island Health Authority and Canada Health Infoway, a federally funded
non-profit organization that promotes electronic accessibility of health
records. Getting patients' health records transcribed into electronic
format is expected to take two years. See “Mentally ill to get
online health records,” at www.canada.com.
Moving Lives Forward Scholarship –
Applications Due June 30 [back to top]
Opening the door to educational opportunities is a positive way for
people with mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder
to realize their potential. The Moving Lives Forward Scholarship is
offered by Eli Lilly Canada, the BC Schizophrenia Society and the Mood
Disorders Association of BC, to help people acquire the educational
or vocational skills necessary to reintegrate into society and help
them move forward with their lives. There are 6 scholarships of $750.00
and 2 scholarships of $1,500.00 to be awarded by lottery to people who
meet the criteria. For further information, or if you have any questions,
please call (604) 873-0103 or email mdabc@telus.net.
Support For Families of Youth Struggling
With Substance Misuse in Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows [back to top]
MATRIX, an Integrated Youth Home Detox, Support and Aftercare Pilot
Project for youth 16 to 24 years old is now able to provide services
for family members affected by substance misuse. This can include crisis
intervention, one-on-one counselling, assessment and referrals, group/peer
support, education, reunification. Staff education and information regarding
family support is also available to service providers in Maple Ridge-PittMeadows.
All services are free, confidential and mobile. MATRIX is funded by
Fraser Health and administered through the Ridge Treatment Centre. Contact
Corrine Arthur, family support specialist, at (604) 319-4962 or Marika
at (778) 773- 0566.
New Dual Diagnosis Anonymous Support Groups
in Surrey and Vancouver [back to top]
Dual Diagnosis Anonymous, a 12-step peer support program for recovery
for people with concurrent mental illness and addiction, has added two
new meeting groups to its schedule.
Surrey - The Gateway Group
- Fridays from 3pm to 4pm at Surrey Mental Health and Addictions (Gateway
Skytrain Station), King George & 108th Scotia Tower 13th Floor;
Contact: Janet 604-953-4995 ext. 3610.
Vancouver - Diversity
Group - Tuesdays from 7:30pm to 8:30pm at The Centre – Community
Centre for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered People and their
Allies at 1170 Bute St. (at Davie), 2nd Floor, Room 3; Contact: Ross
604-642-0085. For more information on Dual Diagnosis Anonymous in Surrey,
call 604-682-3269 ext. 7846.
Postpartum Support in Campbell River
[back to top]
The Olive Branch is an informal and confidential postpartum support
group where mothers can find emotional support, knowledge and resources
relating to postpartum depression and anxiety. The Olive Branch meets
on Thursdays from 1:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. at Hemlock Family Place at
1048A Hemlock Street in Campbell River.
New Website Launched to Improve Kids’
Mental Health [back to top]
The Offord Centre for Child Studies has launched a national website
to provide the latest and best information on how to identify, prevent
and treat mental health problems in children and youth. The website
is part of a new Centre of Knowledge on Healthy Child Development that
will put information based on the best science available into the hands
of parents, teachers and others in the community who can use it to improve
outcomes for children. Future plans include delivering this information
in customized packages to doctor's offices, classrooms, libraries and
other locations that serve young people and their parents. Visit the
website at www.knowledge.offordcentre.com.
Eating Disorders Resources for Practitioners
and Fitness Professionals [back to top]
Jessie's Hope Society has released two more sets of eating disorders
prevention materials featuring stories and tips for practitioners and
fitness professionals. "Recognizing When SOmeone May Have or Be
at Risk for Developing an Eating Disorder: Guidelines for Physicians,"
Dietitians and Fitness Instructors Speak About the Dark Side of Physical
Activity; The Stories of Leila Chan, Corey Sullivan & Alisa Cohen,"
and their accompanying tips are available at www.jessieshope.org
and www.HeretoHelp.bc.ca.
Tools for Preventing Discrimination in the
Workplace [back to top]
The Canadian Human Rights Commission website has developed a new section
on preventing discrimination in the workplace. The section includes
several tools and resources such as fact sheets on the duty to accommodate,
an employer’s guide to anti-harrassment policies, a guide to screening
and selection in employment, and other resources produced through the
Discrimination Prevention Program. Visit the website at www.chrc-ccdp.ca.
>>
learn more about supporting people with mental illness in
the workplace with the Mental
Health Works program and other resources available on the CMHA
BC website.
Keys to Healing: First Nations Wellness
Newsletter [back to top]
The first edition of Keys to Healing, a new newsletter for
First Nations addictions specialists published by the Association of
BC First Nations Treatment Programs, is now available online. This issue
includes articles on the First Nations Wellness/Addictions Certification
Board, suicide, identifying HIV/AIDS risk, as well as Native customs
and spirituality. Read the newsletter in PDF format at www.firstnationstreatment.org.
Tool for Mental Health Systems to Measure
Recovery Orientation [back to top]
An American national research project has released a report on the second
phase of the development of Recovery Oriented Systems Indicators (ROSI),
which measure whether mental health programs and systems are promoting
a recovery orientation. The report from the National Research Project
for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System Performance Indicators
team describes the process that led to the development of the tools.
See “Mental Health Recovery: What Helps and What Hinders? A National
Research Project for the Development of Recovery Facilitating System
Performance Indicators,” at www.nasmhpd.org.
2006 Mental Health Resource Guide for Greater
Victoria [back to top]
The REES Network’s 2006 Resource Guide for Partners in Mental
Health provides current information on mental health, addictions, employment
and housing resources in Greater Victoria. The guide is available for
free for consumers, and $5 for professionals. You can pick up your guide
between 9am and 3:30pm at the REES Network office at 101 – 746
Pandora Ave., Victoria. Call (250) 585-8619 for more information.
Child and Youth Mental Health Services Brochure
[back to top]
The Ministry of Children and Family Development has produced a new brochure
on mental health resources for children and youth, as part of government
efforts to recognize the importance of youth during Mental Health Week.
The Information is available in seven languages and outlines steps for
children and teens to access regional mental health services. Copies
are available by contacting your local Child and Youth Mental Health
office or online at www.mcf.gov.bc.ca.
New Book on Shyness by Burnaby Author
[back to top]
A new book on shyness and social anxiety both embraces shyness and offers
solutions to coping with it. Written by Burnaby resident Erika Hilliard,
Living Fully with Shyness and Social Anxiety tackles the misconceptions
of shyness and offers solutions to living with shyness and social anxiety.
The book is available in book stores and online. See “Burnaby
author tackles nerves,” at www.burnabynow.com.
Researchers Seeking People Living Well With
Bipolar Disorder [back to top]
Dr. Erin Michalak from the Mood Disorders Centre at UBC is seeking people
living well with bipolar disorder to participate in a research study
entitles “Wellness and bipolar disorder: A narrative analysis
of self-management techniques.” Eligible participants will have
a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, type I or II; be 19 years of age or
older; be fluent in English; complete a screening questionnaire by telephone;
be able to answer questions relating to age at diagnosis, number of
years of illness and number of manic/hypomanic episodes experienced;
be willing to participate in two interviews or one focus group discussion
about self-management strategies used (60-90 minutes per interview/focus
group). To participate, or for more information, contact Dr. Erin Michalak
at (604) 827-3393 or email emichala@interchange.ubc.ca
Sea To Sky Peer Support Seeking Counsellors
[back to top]
Sea to Sky Peer Support Program is looking for peer support counsellors
who have been diagnosed with a mental illness to help others in similar
situations with recovery and coping skills. For information concerning
the free training program call 604-983-6020, email support@vch.ca
or visit www.vch.ca/mental/peersupport.htm.
Public
Education Events
Movie Mondays in Victoria [back to top]
Every Monday at 6:30 pm, Bruce Saunders' Movie Monday project presents
free movies at the Eric Martin Pavilion at the 1900 block of Fort Street
in Victoria. More details at www.islandnet.com/mm
June 5 – My Architect: A Son’s
Journey
June 12 – The Horse’s Mouth
June 19 – Raven Tales 1 & 2
June 26 – Brokeback Mountain
July 6 – I Am Not An American!
Caregiver Support Program [back to top]
This free education series takes place throughout the year and runs
for 4 consecutive sessions. Participants can attend one session or all
four sessions. 6:30pm – 8:30pm at Vancouver Community College,
King Edward Campus, 1155 E. Broadway. Pre-registration is required.
To register call (604) 877-4699.
June 8 – Family Dynamics & Communication
June 15 – Community Health Services
& Facility Placement
Word Mad Pride Festival – June
2 – July 2 [back to top]
Local and international artists, both emerging and professional, are
invited to participate in an interdisciplinary call for work addressing
mental health issues, art and healing, and human rights and psychiatry.
The 2000 World Mad Pride festival will take place June 2 – July
2, featuring visual arts, film screenings, spoken word, and panel discussions
in Vancouver venues, including Simon Fraser University, Carnegie Community
Centre, 29 West Hastings and Gallery Gachet. For more information and
a schedule of events, visit www.gachet.org.
MDA of BC Education Evening – My Own
Private Etibocoke – June 15
[back to top]
Join Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDA) in our monthly Education
Evening for the community. This month, Eufemia Fantetti will be performing
her one-woman show, My Own Private Etobicoke. Every family has a secret:
the Fantetti family is no different (as they try to hide mental illness).
There will be a question and answer period following Ms. Fantetti’s
performance. The free performance starts at 7pm at Sunrise Hall, 1950
Windermere Street, Vancouver. The hall is wheelchair accessible. Call
(604) 873-0103 or email mdabc@telus.net
for more information.
Courses
and Workshops
Helping the Helper Non-Profit Management
Workshops [back to top]
This series of workshops, sponsored by Coast Capital Savings and The
Centre for Non Profit Management in partnership with the University
of Victoria's Centre for Public Sector Studies, is designed to help
non-profit organizations increase their resourcefulness and adapt to
new demands and opportunities in the marketplace. The workshops are
held 8:30am – 4:30pm in the Lower Mainland (Executive Hotel &
Conference Centre, 4201 Lougheed Highway, Burnaby) and Vancouver Island
(Dunsmuir Lodge, Room 150, 1515 McTavish Road, Sidney). Workshop fees:
$60 each. Coast Capital Savings member and group rates available. Details
and registration at www.coastcapitalsavings.com
or 1-866-760-2005.
June 6 - Vancouver
Island – Developing a High Performance Board of
Directors
June 8 - Lower
Mainland – Developing a High Performance Board
of Directors
Showcasing Family Initiatives Workshop –
June 9 [back to top]
Psychosocial Rehabilitation of BC (PSR-BC) is organizing a workshop
on family initiatives in mental health. Program includes experiences,
family support and involvement planning, collaboration between professionals
and families, developing family peer support, early psychosis intervention
and family representative agreements. 8:00am – 4:00pm in the HEY
Building, Auditorium B, Riverview Hospital, Coquitlam. Conference Fee:
$60; Consumer/Family Member Rate: $30; Free for PSR-BC members. For
more information, view the PDF brochure at www.psr-rps-bc.com
or email psr-bc@telus.net.
Mental Health and the Movies –
June 24 [back to top]
This course is designed for health professionals, particularly clinical
counsellors, psychologists, and physicians, who are interested in using
films for both teaching and therapeutic purposes in the area of mental
health. This intensive one-day program will provide an overview of the
educational and clinical applications of commercially produced films
in the field of mental health, including how to view and analyze films
from a mental health perspective, how to use films in mental health
related clinical practice and teaching and how to identify and access
relevant films and videos. 9am – 4:30pm in Room C225, UBC at Robson
Square, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver. Course Fee: $170.13. Call (604)
822-7301, email info@cpdkt.ubc.ca or visit www.mentalhealthandthemovies.com
Conferences
Human Rights & Accommodation 2006 Conference
– June 8 [back to top]
Includes panel discussions on harassment at work, proving and disproving
discrimination, absenteeism and disability accommodation, and mental
health in the workplace, with panelist, CMHA BC’s Margaret Tebbutt,
Manager, Mental Health Works. 8:45am – 4:45pm at the Hyatt Regency,
655 Burrard St., Vancouver. Registration Fee: $595. For more information
visit www.lancasterhouse.com.
>>
learn more about supporting people with mental illness in
the workplace with the Mental
Health Works program and other resources available on the CMHA
BC website.
UBC Department of Psychiatry Clinical Day
– June 9 [back to top]
Community-based psychiatrists, GP’s, family physicians, and mental
health professionals are invited to attend a day of lectures and hands-on
workshops focused on providing updates on a diverse range of psychiatric
topics. With keynote address by Dr. Raymond Lam, Head, Division of Clinical
Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, UBC. 8am – 3:30pm at UBC
Robson Square, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver. Conference fees: Physicians:
$209; Allied Health Professionals: $169; Interns/Residents/Students:
$100. Eligible for 5.00 MAINPRO M1 credits or 5.00 Category 1 credits
toward the American Medical Association Physician’s Recognition
Award. Details at www.cpdkt.ubc.ca.
Business Health – Employee Health:
Creating, Retention and Renewal – July 7
– 9 [back to top]
Canadian Institute for the Relief of Pain and Disability presents Business
Health – Employer Health: Creation, Retention and Renewal; Connecting
Research to Training and Practice. The primary goal of the conference
is to enhance workplace productivity and innovation, disability prevention,
disability management, and wellness. This interdisciplinary conference
will bring together large and small business leaders, academic leaders
and researchers, disability and rehabilitation professionals and other
stakeholders concerned with business management, global, population
and occupational health. Keep an eye out for the CMHA booth and a panel
presentation by CMHA BC’s Margaret Tebbutt, Manager of Mental
Health Works. At UBC, Vancouver. Conference Fee: $675. Advanced, Member,
and Student Rates available. Advanced registration closes June 15. Visit
www.cirpd.org
for more information.
>>
mark the date for the 2007 Bottom Line Conference
- March 6 + 7 -
for a day of inspiration, insight and information
on improving mental health in the workplace.
Schizophrenia Society of Canada National Conference
in Winnipeg - July 13 – 15
[back to top]
Manitoba Schizophrenia Society hosts "Voices of Resiliency: Hearing,
Sharing, Learning with each other" in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
This event will emphasize holistic bio-psycho-social-spiritual-recovery-empowerment
perspectives. The themes of Recovery and Resiliency will contribute
to an educational, motivational, and inspirational conference for consumers
and families experiencing schizophrenia, serious mental illness, and
co-occurring disorders. Visit www.mss.mb.ca
or call (204) 786-1616 for information.
International Gestalt Conference - August
9 - 13 [back to top]
Conference attendees will participate in presentations of Gestalt colleagues
from around the world: large groups, small groups, seminars, experiential
workshops and process groups that meet throughout the conference. With
keynote speaker Erving Polster. This conference and pre-conference workshops,
offer opportunities for personal growth, professional development, continuing
education credit, and collegial support. At UBC, Vancouver. Full conference
fee: $500. AACT member, student and early bird rates available. Work
studies and scholarships also available. Learn more about the conference
at www.aagt.org.
Brain Development & Learning: Making Sense
of the Science Conference - August 19 –
22 [back to top]
An international conference devoted to enriching and improving the lives
of children by making cutting edge research in psychology and neuroscience
understandable to non-scientists (including parents) who work with children
on a daily basis. At the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel in Vancouver. Full
conference fee: $524.30. Student rates available. Continuing Education
Credits are available for educators, physicians, lawyers, psychologists,
allied health professionals and more. For the complete conference brochure
visit www.interprofessional.ubc.ca
or email ipad@interchange.ubc.ca
or call (604) 822-7524.
|
Health promotion helps us to understand the many influences
on our health from social and environmental factors such as housing,
income, education, clean air and a sense of belonging, to our
everyday choices about diet and exercise. Understanding what affects
our health can help us take action to make it better. So can the
Canadian Health Network (CHN). It is a wealth of information to
help you prevent disease and make healthy choices for yourself
and your community. CMHA is the official Mental Health Affiliate
of CHN. |
DISCLAIMER
This newsletter contains information collected from a wide variety of
sources, individuals and organizations which we consider reliable. However
the content of the news delivered as well as referred to does not necessarily
represent the official view of CMHA, BC Division. Under no circumstances
shall CMHA, its employees, directors, volunteers, or the authors of
information provided in this newsletter, be liable for damages, losses,
demands, or claims.
If you like what
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to our charity by clicking on the image above or send your gifts to
CMHA BC, 1200-1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 3V6, Tel: 604-688-3234
(1-800-555-8222), Fax: 604-688-3236.
To
subscribe or unsubscribe from MIND MATTERS, visit www.cmha.bc.ca.
If
you have any ideas or content for MIND MATTERS, please send them to
mindmatters@cmha.bc.ca.
The
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), BC Division is a provincial
non-profit charitable organization which has, for the past 50 years
in BC, been concerned with promoting the mental health of all British
Columbians and changing the way we view and treat mental illness in
BC. We are part of a national association with over 80 years of experience
in Canada. CMHA staff and volunteers focus on four major responsibilities:
policy, public education, community-based research, and mental health
service and support resources. We are located at: 1200-1111 Melville
St., Vancouver BC, V6E 3V6 Phone: 604-688-3234 or 1-800-555-8222 (free
within BC); Fax: 604-688-3236; General email: info@cmha.bc.ca;
MIND MATTERS email:mindmatters@cmha.bc.ca;
Web: www.cmha.bc.ca |
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