From Recovery to Discovery -- A Mental Health Peer Support Group in Halifax

TODAY, May 23rd, 6:30 pm

Meetings

Every Thursday Evening

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

The Hub Halifax

1673 Barrington Street, 2nd Floor

Halifax, Nova Scotia


The From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group is open to anyone affected by any type of mental illness, and this includes family members and friends.

Free!

Thursday, May 23rd, 2013

A Screening of the Documentary Film "Of Two Minds"

Join co-facilitators Lisa Corra and Vince Daigle for this week's screening and discussion of the 2012 documentary film, Of Two Minds.

Dancing alone can be exhilarating …

“OF TWO MINDS is an award-winning [89 minute] feature documentary from the creative team behind Wordplay, Superheroes and These Amazing Shadows that explores the extraordinary lives, struggles and successes of a few of the over five million Americans living with bipolar disorder. Personal stories of harrowing events, medical mazes, discrimination and the effects of social stigma blend together to create a compelling look at a generation coming out of the “bipolar closet.” OF TWO MINDS puts an authentic human face on bipolar disorder, providing an intimate, sometimes painful, sometimes painfully funny look at those who live in its shadows: our parents and children, our friends and lovers… and ourselves.”

Quotation source

“…intelligent [and] compassionate"

– Variety

Image credit

Thursday, May 30th, 2013

A Peer Support Group Meeting

Topic To Be Determined



Sunday, June 2nd, 2013
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
The Hub Halifax
1673 Barrington Street, 2nd Floor
Halifax, Nova Scotia

A FR2D Peer Support Group Special Event

An Afternoon of Hands-on Art Creation

with

The Maritime Senorita

Maria Valverde Boutilier.

Photo credit

Thursday, June 6th, 2013

Music, Poetry, and Mental Health: Part 3

Join co-facilitators Lisa Corra and Vince Daigle for a third peer support group meeting on the topic of Music, Poetry, and Mental Health (the second was held on December 6th, 2012). In addition to a discussion, there will be musical and poetry interludes. If you play a musical instrument, be sure to bring it with you! Bring your singing voice as well! Spoken word poetry is also most welcome! (If you do not play an instrument, sing, or perform spoken word poetry, there will be no pressure for you to participate, just sit back and enjoy!)

Thursday, June 13th, 2013

The Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program

with

Roy Muise
Consultant
Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness.



Thursday, June 20th, 2013

An Overview of the Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program

with

Trevor Briggs
Director
Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program
Capital District Health Authority

Organized through a partnership between the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia and the Healthy Minds Cooperative, the From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group is special because it moves beyond the expectation of simply existing with minimal symptoms of mental illness. Our message is that we all have the opportunity to manifest our strengths, to recover a sense of empowerment, and to live with meaning and purpose. Through the mutual sharing of our own wisdom and experience, we are reminded to reach for hope and fulfillment in our lives, and to help one another realize our potential.

The From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group is open to anyone affected by any type of mental illness, and this includes family members and friends. The format generally involves an interactive presentation on topics of interest to the group in the first hour, and a group discussion during the second hour.

To download the From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group's meeting flyer (PDF), please click here.

If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact:

Lisa Corra, Program Manager, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by phoning 465-2601 (toll free 1-800-465-2601) or sending an email to lisacorra@bellaliant.com; or 

Vince Daigle, Senior Peer Specialist, Healthy Minds Cooperative, by phoning 404-3504, or sending an email to healthyminds@eastlink.ca.

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Friday, May 24th - National Schizophrenia & Psychosis Awareness Day

National Schizophrenia and Psychosis Awareness Day brings together all the schizophrenia societies from across Canada. We work together to help spread awareness about these conditions, fight the stigma that is associated with mental illnesses and work with the public to show our support for those impacted by schizophrenia and psychosis by wearing purple on Friday, May 24th, 2013.

Also visit:

www.szday.ca

Saturday Free Clinic - Halifax

This Saturday, May 25th

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Also visit: saturdayfreeclinic.blogspot.com

Halifax Defeat Depression Walk

This Sunday, May 26th, 12:00 noon

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To download a PDF version of the poster, please click here.

Also visit:

Halifax Defeat Depression Walk

DefeatDepression.ca

FreeBird Benefit Concert - Supporting Mental Health Awareness - Halifax

This Sunday, May 26th,1:00 pm to 7:00 pm

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Also see:

Masonic Lodge Bedford - Lodge 104

New Family Support Group - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

This Wednesday, May 29th, 7:00 pm

The HRM Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

is hosting a new

Dartmouth Family Support Group

When a loved one is diagnosed with a mental illness, or you feel there are mental health issues not being addressed, it can be overwhelming. Many families find that talking with others who have had similar experiences to be very beneficial. This new support group provides an opportunity to learn about resources in the community, navigating the mental health system, strategies to promote recovery and enhance coping skills, and much more.

Meetings are held the last Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is ...

Date

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

Time

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Place

Alderney Gate Public Library

Starr Room

60 Alderney Drive

Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

For further information, please contact Donna Methot by phoning (902) 462-8658 or sending an email to hrmchapterssns@accesswave.ca.


Photograph by Robert Alfers

The History, Diagnosis and Treatment of Opiate Dependence with Dr. Ronald Fraser, MD, CSPQ, FRCPC

Thursday, May 30th, 7:00 pm

Halifax

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Emerging Practices in Recovery: Addressing Complex Issues

May 30th and 31st!

Wolfville, Nova Scotia

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To download the conference registration form, please click here.

Also see:

PSR Nova Scotia

Alderney Landing Kitchen Party & Music Drop-In

Friday, May 31st, 2:00 pm

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Learning about Schizophrenia: Rays of Hope

A Reference Manual for Families & Caregivers

Revised Fourth Edition (2012)

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To download the 2012 fourth revised edition of Rays of Hope (PDF), please click here.

Printed copies of Rays of Hope are available from the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia at a cost of $10.00 (including shipping).  To order a copy with payment by Visa or MasterCard, please call (902) 465-2601 or 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia), or send a cheque or money order to:

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
Room B-23, Purdy Building
P.O. Box 1004
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Z9

One-on-one intentional mental health peer support services in Nova Scotia

From the Healthy Minds Cooperative's May 2012 newsletter:

It's Official

The Department of Health and Wellness has chosen Healthy Minds Cooperative to oversee the advancement of the Nova Scotia Certified Peer Support Specialist Program!

Healthy Minds Cooperative has demonstrated a long term commitment and belief in peer support since our inception in 2005. We believe peer support is an integral component of recovery for people living with mental illness. Our organization has been a pioneer in delivering formal peer support on inpatient units since 2006. This ground breaking work was happening at a time when peer support was virtually unknown. It is incredible to know that beginning in 2013 it will now be available in health districts across our province.

We extend a sincere welcome to Roy Muise, the Peer Mentor for the NSCPSS program as part of our Healthy Minds team. Well known and respected Roy brings his extensive work with the Mental Health Commission of Canada, work with PSACC, a vast knowledge of peer support and many years’ experience delivering peer support. Joining Roy in this exciting work will be Vince Daigle who has 7 years’ experience providing formal peer support on an inpatient unit, Michael Smith and Irene Skehen. Together the entire Healthy Minds team possess unique and valuable skills that amount to about 40 years’ experience working in the field of mental health. When you add the soon to be newly certified peer specialists, that will be delivering peer support to every health district in the province to this team there is no doubt that there will be hope and recovery for many. The Department of Health and Wellness is committed to improving the mental health and wellness of all Nova Scotians. They listened to the people of Nova Scotia and developed the first ever mental health strategy for our province. Thanks to their vision and support the reality of individuals having access to peer support will expand and become a reality across our province.

Also visit:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Peer Support Accreditation and Certification (Canada) [PSACC]

How to refer someone to the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program

From the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program (NSEPP) website:

Because NSEPP is located in Halifax, within the largest of the Nova Scotia health regions; Capital Health, the program provides direct clinical services to residents of the Capital Health district.

Referrals to NSEPP can be made by anyone, including mental health care professionals, family physicians, community agencies, educators and school counselors, family members, friends and any young person who suspects they may be suffering from a first episode of psychosis.

Criteria for referral of individuals who reside in the Capital Health district are:

• Any individual between the ages of 15-35 who is suspected of experiencing or has been diagnosed with a first episode of psychosis, and

• Has been treated for less than 6 months with an anti-psychotic medication, and

• At the time of referral has had active, untreated psychosis for less than one year.

If you or someone you know meets these criteria please contact the NSEPP immediately at (902) 473-2976.

What can I expect if I refer someone who resides in the Capital Health district?

• The intake coordinator from NSEPP will usually contact the person making the referral within 1- 2 working days after NSEPP receives the referral. The purpose of this contact is to obtain information necessary to decide if the person being referred meets the criteria for the NSEPP program and to also determine the urgency of the referral.

• All information regarding new referrals is presented by the intake coordinator to the NSEPP multidisciplinary team at their weekly meeting. At that meeting the NSEPP team will determine if the individual referred meets the criteria for the NSEPP program. If a referral meets criteria, NSEPP endeavours to assess those individuals within 1-2 weeks.

• Priority for appointments for initial assessments will be determined by the NSEPP team based on their assessment of the degree of urgency.

• Urgent referrals are assessed, whenever possible, within 1-2 working days.

• The individual making the referral to the NSEPP will be notified of the date of the assessment appointment and, after the assessment is completed, will be notified of the outcome.

• If it is determined that an individual referred to NSEPP does not meet criteria for the program, the individual making the referral will be notified by the intake coordinator and will be provided with information regarding referral to other appropriate mental health services. 

Under the provincial service delivery model developed by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and as one of the Dalhousie University Department of Psychiatry clinical academic programs, NSEPP provides clinical consultation for residents of the Maritime provinces who reside outside the Capital Health district.

Criteria for referral of individuals who reside in the Maritime Provinces outside of the Capital Health district:

• NSEPP only accepts referrals for consultation from health care professionals including any mental health care professional or family physician, and

• Any individual between the age of 15-35 who is experiencing early psychosis (within the first 5 years of the onset of psychosis), may be referred for a consultation regarding diagnosis and/or treatment.

NSEPP does not provide ongoing clinical services to individuals who reside outside of the Capital Health district.

What can I expect if I refer an individual who resides in the Maritime Provinces outside of the Capital Health district?

• The intake coordinator from NSEPP will usually contact the person making the referral within 1 week after NSEPP receives the referral. The purpose of this contact is to obtain more detailed information regarding the reasons for the referral for consultation from the NSEPP.

• All information regarding consultations is presented by the intake coordinator to the NSEPP multidisciplinary team at their weekly meeting. At that meeting the NSEPP team will determine if the consultation referral to NSEPP meets the program criteria for consultation from NSEPP.

• If a consultation referral meets the NSEPP criteria, the NSEPP endeavours to assess all individuals referred for a consultation within 4 weeks after NSEPP receives the referral

• The individual making the referral to the NSEPP will be notified of the date of the consultation appointment. Once the consultation is completed, the individual making the referral will receive a written report.

• If it is determined that an individual referred to NSEPP does not meet criteria for referral for a consultation from NSEPP the individual making the referral will be notified by the intake coordinator and will be provided with information regarding referral to other appropriate mental health services.

At this time, persons referred for a consultation with the NSEPP must be willing to travel to Halifax/Dartmouth Nova Scotia for an assessment

To make a referral for a consultation please contact (902) 473-2976.

Image credit

Also see:

Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program

Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program - Information for Family Members (PDF)

Mending Minds

Assistance with navigating mental health services in the Capital Health district (Halifax Regional Municipality)

Call 404-3504

From the Healthy Minds Cooperative's February 2013 newsletter:

Navigation

Going through the mental health system can be like trying to find your way through a maze. Navigation is a service that the Healthy Minds Cooperative provides that helps guide people living with a mental illness, and their families, to connect with support services in the community.

The Navigator can answer your questions and concerns about:

• Services in the community

• Support groups

• Programs and workshops

• Referral Services

• Advocacy

• Web-based resources

For more information about navigation, please call (902) 404-3504 or email hmnavigator@eastlink.ca.

Image credit


Also see:

Capital Health Addictions and Mental Health Program

OurHealthyMinds.com

Healthy Minds Cooperative

The Self-Help Connection


Community Helping Trees

Bedford / Sackville

Clayton Park / Fairview

Cumberland County

Dartmouth

Halifax Peninsula

Mental Health Services & Supports in Communities Across Nova Scotia

Newcomers

Prospect / Tantallon / Timberlea / St. Margarets Bay

Dartmouth Seniors

Spryfield

Spryfield Youth

Windsor / West Hants Community

I am not sick, I don't need help!

Dr. Xavier Amador is an internationally sought-after speaker, clinical psychologist, professor at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City, the Founder and Director of the LEAP™ Institute and author of eight books including the national best seller I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help!™

In this video he talks about dealing with anosognosia, the lack of insight regarding a mental illness. The video was recorded during the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's Annual Conference in 2005.

For a PowerPoint presentation on Dr. Amador's Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner (LEAP) approach, click here.

Part 1 of 2 (57 minutes)

Part 2 of 2 (53 minutes)

This video was reviewed by Schizophrenia.com on December 27, 2006. To read the review, please click here.


Other videos featuring Dr. Amador:

Cambridge Talk on Helping People with Mental Illness - October 2, 2012 (NAMI Cambridge Chapter)

Keynote speech to the annual convention of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (May 2011)

2011 Nordic Psychiatry Academy Interview with Dr. Amador

"I am not Sick, I don't need help!" presentation at the 2011 Nordic Psychiatry Academy

Anosognosia Workshop — July 3, 2010 (NAMI Conference)

Also see:

I am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! How to help someone with mental illness accept treatment. 10th Anniversary Edition

Families Overcoming Risks and Building Opportunities for Well-Being (FORBOW)

Call for Participants

Please click on the image to magnify it.

Download the FORBOW Leaflet (PDF) by clicking here.


Also see:

FORBOW Website

2013 Clinical Neurosciences Conference - Psychosis

Erin Hawkes – My Psychosis and its Treatment

Source: http://www.bcss.org/recordings-project/2013-clinical-neurosciences-recordings/erin-hawkes-die-girl-die-my-psychosis-and-its-treatment/    


Also see:  

When Quietness Came: A Neuroscientist's Personal Journey With Schizophrenia

2013 Clinical Neurosciences Recordings

Whispers - A collection of poems by Brian Malay

Published by Gaspereau Press, Whispers is a collection of poems written between 2000 and 2009 by Brian Malay (1983-2010).

Compiled and edited after his death, Whispers provides insight into the joy of what it means to be fully alive and seeking answers to everyday mysteries, as well as the pain and sorrow of Brian’s truly exceptional nature.

From his early years until the last days of his life, Brian expressed himself through his writing. He was an imaginative free thinker whose poetry reflects a keen sense of his own world and the world about him.

Although Brian lived with schizophrenia, his diagnosis did not disable him; conversely, he worked harder at his writing and discovered it to be a wonderful expression of his creativity. Ultimately, poetry simply flowed from him, thus making him a true master of the written word.

Brian’s mother, Cindy Crowell, is kindly donating proceeds from the sales of Whispers to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.

To place an order for Whispers, please mail a $20.00 cheque made out to the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, along with the address to which the book should be shipped, to:

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
Room B23, E.C. Purdy Building
P.O. Box 1004, Station Main
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B2Y 3Z9

Orders with payment by credit card are also accepted. Please call the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia at (902) 465-2601 or 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia).


Portrait of Brian Malay by Jared Malay. Please click on the image to magnify it.

Meaningful Involvement of Consumers Awards (MICA)

Nomination Deadline

Friday, June 28th, 2013

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To download PDF versions of the above flyers, please click here.

Also see:

2013 MICA Awards (PDF)

Mental Health Services - MICA Awards - Nomination Form (Microsoft Word)

MICA Awards - Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness

Mental Health Services in Cape Breton

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To download the entire booklet (PDF), please click here.

Capital District Mental Health Program - Satisfaction Surveys

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To download the PDF version of the above letter, please click here.

To complete the survey(s) online, visit:

Note: The links below work with Internet Explorer and Firefox, but not with Chrome.

Outpatient Satisfaction Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LJll86

Inpatient Satisfaction Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LJlo86

Family and Friends Outpatient Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LK3l86

Family and Friends Inpatient Survey:
https://survey.nshealth.ca/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=88LK3m86

Sale on the novel: "Playing the Genetic Lottery"

An email received by the SSNS today from Terri Morgan, author of the novel Playing the Genetic Lottery:

May is Mental Health Awareness month in the United States, and as an author of a novel about schizophrenia and an advocate for reducing the stigmas surrounding mental health issues, I've offering a special on my novel. Would you please share this information with your members? I think they would appreciate hearing about this great discount on a book that validates many of their experiences.

Thanks, Terri

As you know, understanding mental illness is one of the big keys to reducing the stigmas that surround it. The stigmas that prevent people from talking about mental illness, and even worse, prevent people from seeking help when they need it. One out of every four people will be affected by mental health issues at one point in their lifetime.

In my mind, that makes it even more urgent to educate people about mental illnesses and dispel many of the myths and misconceptions surrounding it.

As the author of a novel about schizophrenia, I worked hard to weave in accurate information about mental illness and the impact it has on families into my book in an effort to raise compassion for people who are living with mental illness and reduce some of the stigmas.

That's why I'm offering a special price to people who download my novel, Playing the Genetic Lottery, during the month of May in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. From May 1-31, people can download my book, which is a fictional memoir about a woman who grew up with two parents living with mental illness, for just CDN $1.01. To take advantage of this special, please click here.

For more information about the novel, please check out my website at terrimorgan.net.

Why reduce the price by 2/3rds? Because reducing the stigmas, to me, is more important than making a few extra dollars on each sale.

Also see:

Book Review by Ashley Smith

Playing the Genetic Lottery | Psych Central

A Housing Strategy For Nova Scotia

From a May 6th social media release by the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services:

More Nova Scotians will find affordable housing that meets their needs as part of the province's first long-term housing strategy. Premier Darrell Dexter and Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse unveiled the strategy today, May 6, during a visit to the North Woodside Community Centre in Dartmouth.

Quotes

"Our homes, and the communities they are part of, shape nearly every aspect of our lives -- health, education, success in the workplace, even the security of our retirement and dignity in old age. Yet many working families cannot afford rent, let alone a mortgage, and many seniors and people with disabilities lack good housing options."

Premier Darrell Dexter

"Our strategy will build vibrant communities, revitalize existing neighbourhoods, and offer affordable new housing choices to Nova Scotia families."

Premier Darrell Dexter

"Few things are as important as having a good, affordable home that meets a person's unique needs. Through collaboration, we have developed a strategy that sets out a new direction for housing -- one that stresses affordability, partnership and community-building. The right housing choices can mean safer, more sustainable, and more vibrant communities."

Denise Peterson-Rafuse, Minister of Community Services

"Shelter Nova Scotia is pleased to see a collaborative strategy that espouses a housing first model. We have seen first-hand the benefits this model has had on the men and women we serve."

Don Spicer, executive director of Shelter Nova Scotia

"It is a challenge but we must build more housing that people can afford. We must not continue to equate big with better when we discuss housing options. This strategy is a bold and innovative roadmap in that direction."

Paul Pettipas, president of the Nova Scotia Home Builders' Association

"I am so grateful to own a home that my children grew up in. I believe this is something we all wish for. It is because of the work that community and private organizations do that I was able to own my own home while my children were young enough to live there. Programs that give more Nova Scotians a chance at affordable home ownership or rent is good news."

Karen Cole, a single mother who purchased her home through Habitat for Humanity

Quick Facts

• The strategy represents a fundamental shift in the province's approach to affordable housing.

• Over the next 10 years, the development of affordable housing and affordable home ownership will substantially increase and will focus on diverse communities with different housing and tenure types, income levels and family composition.

• $500 million over 10 years will go towards supporting new and enhanced affordable housing projects and programs.

• The strategy was built on themes that emerged from provincewide public consultations held in 2012 with more than 500 Nova Scotians, including non-profit and community organizations engaged in housing issues, housing developers, governments, and interested Nova Scotians.

• The strategy will restructure the Nova Scotia Housing Development Corporation and all housing staff in Community Services as Housing Nova Scotia.

• Among the programs that Housing Nova Scotia is considering are down payment assistance, lease-to-own opportunities, a graduate home ownership program, and retrofit programs

Also see:

Download the strategy (PDF)

Download a plain text version (PDF)

Learn more about the consultation process

Information, pictures and videos from the launch event

5th Annual Road to Recovery Walk - Halifax, Bridgewater, and New Glasgow

Held on Saturday, May 4th, 2013

In Halifax, Bridgewater, and New Glasgow

Supporting Families as Partners in Mental Health Care

Walking Together to Raise Awareness

For further information visit:

www.RoadToRecoveryWalk.ssns.ca

To make a donation in support of the 5th Annual Road to Recovery Walk, please click here.

To read an article about the Walk posted online by The Chronicle Herald, please click here.

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In Partnership With

 Sponsors

Photographs by Stephen Ayer.

CMHA Nova Scotia Division - Newsletter - May 2013

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To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.


Also visit:

CMHA Nova Scotia Division

Fact Sheet: Maintaining Your Mental Health

Searchlyte Research Studies: Participants Needed

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To download a PDF version of the above poster, please click here.

Also see:

Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program

Dr. Heather Milliken

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - May 2013

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To download the entire newsletter (PDF), please click here.

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

Demystifying the Mental Disorder Defence - with Professor Archie Kaiser

A presentation made on April 17th, 2013, at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University.

From this website:

People with mental health problems face persistent stigmas; when they come into conflict with the law, they often face minor charges and tend not to fare well in our justice system. Less frequently and only in the most serious cases, some accused persons choose the highly-publicized-but-not-well-understood “mental disorder defence.”

In this lecture, we’ll talk about the difficulties people with mental health problems face in our justice system and take a detailed look at the mental disorder defence. What is it? When can it be used? How does it work? And if successful, what does it mean for the accused?

To download Professor Kaiser's PowerPoint Slides, please click here.

HRM Family Education & Support Group

Monday, June 10th, 7:00 pm

HRM Chapter of the SSNS

Family Education & Support Group Meeting

Family members, friends, co-workers, and other supporters of those living with schizophrenia and related illnesses are cordially invited to attend Family Education & Support Group meetings of the HRM Chapter. The next meeting is ...

Date
Monday, June 10th, 2013

Time
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Place
Room 1243A, Halifax Infirmary
Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre
1796 Summer Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Agenda

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Topic: To Be Announced

8:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Group Discussion

To download the HRM Chapter's brochure, click here (PDF).

To join the HRM Chapter of the SSNS, or for more information, contact Donna Methot at (902) 462-8658 or send an email to hrmchapterssns@accesswave.ca.

The HRM Chapter of the SSNS will accept members from outside the boundaries of Halifax Regional Municipality.


Photograph of downtown Halifax by Derek Rodgers.

Support for Family and Friends of Persons Living with Mental Illness

Monday, June 10th, 7:00 pm

New Minas

A Self-Help Group in Kings County, Nova Scotia

Caring for a loved one who is dealing with a mental illness can require emotional and practical support. You are not alone. This self-help group was started in the fall of 2008 to share personal experiences in response to the need of support for the families and friends of persons living with serious mental illness.

While it originated through families involved in the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia (SSNS), the group feels it can offer support to families dealing with a wide range of brain illnesses, including psychosis (a break with reality), major depression, and bipolar disorder. This is not a resource group to provide technical, medical or legal aid, or for advocacy - although our experiences may have touched on these issues. Everything shared within the group is confidential.


We meet on the second Monday of each month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, except then this day is a statutory holiday. Meetings are not held during the summer months of July and August.

Location

Evangeline Club
8752 Commercial Street
New Minas, Nova Scotia


If someone you know or meet might be interested, please encourage them to contact us through the SSNS by calling 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia) or by emailing us directly at kc_schizophrenia_society@hotmail.com.

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia exists to improve the quality of life for those affected by schizophrenia and psychosis through education, support programs, public policy and research ... including their families.

Helping hands graphic courtesy of Lincalinca.

Pictou County MI (Mental Illness) Family Support Group

Tuesday, June 11th, 7:00 pm

Pictou County MI (Mental Illness) Family Support Group

Family Education and Support Group Meeting

Tuesday, June 11th, 2013

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

NSCC Pictou Campus
Room B-120 (back entrance)

39 Acadia Avenue

Stellarton, Nova Scotia

The Pictou County MI (Mental Illness) Family Support Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month (except July & August) at the Nova Scotia Community College in Stellarton. Family members, other supporters, friends, and those with lived experience of mental illness are welcome to attend.

For further information about this group, please contact the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia at 1-800-465-2601 or send an email to ssns@bellaliant.com.

Image credit

Kings County Chapter of the SSNS

Wednesday, June 19th, 7:00 pm

Meetings of the Kings County Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia are held the third Wednesday of each month, beginning at 7:00 pm, at the Lou Millet Community Centre, Room 119 (east entrance), 9489 Commercial Street, New Minas, Nova Scotia. Meetings are not held during the summer months of July and August.


Also see:

Support for Family and Friends of Persons Living with Mental Illness: A Self-Help Group in Kings County, Nova Scotia

Heart to Heartwood

An article published in today's edition of The Coast:

Part of the Mayworks Festival, Heartwood is a play that takes an honest look at one woman’s experience with schizophrenia.

By Kate Watson

The Doppler Effect’s Annie Valentina (left) and actor-writer Laura Burke (right).

It's a grey, damp Saturday in Halifax, and Theatre Nova Scotia's Living Room space on Agricola appears hushed and dark as well. Inside, Annie Valentina and Laura Burke have put in a long day of rehearsal on Burke's one-woman show Heartwood, and they're winding down.

Burke, a pig-tailed blonde sporting graceful feathered earrings and casual clothes in muted shades of grey and brown, is a playwright, actor, spoken word artist and soon-to-be licensed drama therapist. She has also been diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Heartwood, which opens April 29 at The Bus Stop Theatre as part of the Mayworks Festival, is the story of Burke's journey from her diagnosis almost eight years ago, when she was a theatre student at Concordia University, through some very dark days of depression and psychosis to her eventual recovery and ongoing life with the disorder.

"There's no doubt that schizophrenia totally changed the trajectory of my life," says Burke. "I was at a point in my life where I was just beginning to feel like I was starting to be a real actor. Then I lost my ability to feel, to remember words, to be on a cognitive emotional level. I had to let go of the expected trajectory."

At first, doctors struggled to find exactly what was ailing Burke, and she describes the eventual diagnosis of schizophrenia as being both "a huge relief" in that she finally had an answer and "a real downer" because she felt saddled with a stigmatizing label.

Over the course of her recovery, challenging that stigma became very important to Burke, and she discovered that using creative means such as poetry and drama offered an effective way to do that. "I'm hoping that by writing about my experience with schizophrenia and sharing it with others, I'll be able to help people to reduce their own shame about it. I want to normalize it.

"It can be scary how people want you to be either a victim or a hero," she says. "I'm just a human wanting to be fully human."

The original version of Heartwood was written as Burke's masters' thesis, and Valentina, who is artistic producer with Halifax theatre company The Doppler Effect, became interested in the project when she directed a workshop version of it in 2012. That version evolved, with the help of Burke and local theatre artist Mary-Colin Chisholm, into a piece that was presented at the Douglas Psychiatric Institute in Montreal and at a psychosis-themed conference in Ottawa.

"There were no plans for production of it as a play at first, but I fell in love with the script and the concepts in it," recalls Valentina. Michael McPhee, creative director of The Doppler Effect, "and I both felt it was a really good project to take to the next theatrical level. It offers a gorgeous theatrical experience. The poetry of the writing and the imagery in it are simply gorgeous."

One of the most arresting recurring images in Heartwood is a tree which grows out of Burke's rib cage, a tree that stands for the challenges we all face and the burdens we all bear. "The tree represents something broader than mental illness," explains Burke. "Our past and suffering grows out of us and takes over. We often try to prune it back, but I think we just have to learn to grow with it and build something out of it."

Burke smiles and pulls a brilliant red coat around her shoulders. As she steps out onto the quiet street, a ray of sunshine bursts through the cold, grey sky.

Photograph by Ashley Marie Pike

Cumberland County Chapter of the SSNS

Tuesday, June 18th, 7:00 pm

Cumberland County Chapter meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month, beginning at 7:00 pm, in the Dr. Carson & Marion Murray Community Centre, 6 Main Street, Springhill, Nova Scotia. Meetings are not held during the months of July and August.

Photograph courtesy of the Town of Springhill.

We Shall not Cease from Exploration: Narratives from the Hyde Inquiry about Mental Health and Criminal Justice

From this website:

The 34th Annual Horace E. Read Memorial Lecture

Introductions by Dean Kim Brooks and Prof. Sheila Wildeman, both from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. This lecture from Judge Anne Derrick (Nova Scotia Provincial Court) discusses the Hyde Inquiry and its implications.




Also see:

Hyde Inquiry

Report of the Fatality Inquiry into the Death of Howard Hyde

"We Shall Not Cease From Exploration": Narratives from the Hyde Inquiry about Mental Health and Criminal Justice

Lunenburg County Chapter of the SSNS

Tuesday, June 18th, 7:00 pm

The Lunenburg County Chapter holds monthly support meetings for people living with mental illness, their family members, and friends, at Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 68 Alexandra Avenue, Bridgewater.  Meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month, except during the summer months of July and August. For further information please call (902) 527-1893 or (902) 527-1692 or visit ssnslcc.blogspot.com.