Information Session - Concurrent Disorders - Dartmouth

Next Tuesday, January 31st, 12:15 pm!

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The Nova Scotia Hospital is located at 300 Pleasant Street, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

Strengthening Families Together - HRM

Ongoing!

Cole Harbour

and

Lower Sackville

Do you have a relative or friend living with a serious mental illness?

Would you like to learn more about his/her illness?

Strengthening Families Together, a ten-week program for families and friends, provides information, skill building, and support.

Delivered by family members who have direct experience with the psychiatric illness of a loved one, and enhanced by invited speakers with topical expertise, Strengthening Families Together is a Canadian-based educational program focusing on:

• Facts about psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression
• Early intervention & recovery
• Treatments & supports
• Coping with the challenges of daily life
• Navigating the mental health system

There is no cost to participate in the Strengthening Families Together program. Each Strengthening Families Together session runs for 10 consecutive weeks (not including statutory holidays), and two hours are allotted on a single day each week (with a break half way through).

The HRM Chapter of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia
is hosting the next two sessions

Tuesdays

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Bedford-Sackville Community Mental Health Clinic

Cobequid Community Health Centre

40 Freer Lane

Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia

Thursdays

 6:30 to 8:30 pm

Cole Harbour / Eastern HRM Community Mental Health Clinic

Cole Harbour Place

51 Forest Hills Parkway

Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia

Registration Is Free!

To register for either 10-week session, please contact Donna Methot by calling 462-8658 or sending an e-mail to hrmchapterssns@accesswave.ca.  There is still time to register for either of these ongoing sessions!

For further information on the Strengthening Families Together program, please click here.

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

Next Thursday, February 2nd!

Meetings

Every Thursday Evening

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

The Hub

2nd Floor, 1673 Barrington Street

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.

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:

Nadine Jacquard, Peer Support Facilitator, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, by phoning 465-2601 (toll free 1-800-465-2601) or sending an email to ssns2@ns.sympatico.ca; or

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

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:

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

Recovery Quilt Raffle

Theme - Support

Draw Date - Saturday, May 5th, 2012!

Please click on the photograph to magnify it.

Help support the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia by purchasing tickets on a hand-made Recovery Quilt ($1,200 value). Tickets are $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.

To purchase tickets, please contact the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia by telephone at (902) 465-2601 or 1-800-465-2601 (toll-free in Nova Scotia), or send an email to ssns@ns.sympatico.ca.

The draw will take place during the 4th Annual Road to Recovery Walk held on May 5th, 2012, at the Olympic Community Centre, 2304 Hunter Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia Lottery Licence No.: AGD005716-11

Key facts and trends in mental health: Updated figures and statistics

Please click on the image to magnify it.

To download the entire document, please click here.

Also see:

The NHS Confederation

Annapolis County Support & Education Group

Thursday, February 9th, 3:00 pm!

Annapolis County

Support and Education Group Meeting

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Middleton Baptist Church

111 Commercial Street 

(Please use the entrance on School Street)

Middleton, Nova Scotia

A new Support and Education Group for those affected by schizophrenia or another mental health disorder will meet on the second Thursday of every month (except July and August) at the Middleton Baptist Church. Family members, caregivers, friends and those with lived experience of mental illness are welcome to attend. The next meeting will be held on Thursday, February 9th, from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Please see the church secretary for the meeting room location.

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@ns.sympatico.ca..

Photo credit

Mental Health for All Coffee House

Every Saturday, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm!

Bloomfield Centre, Rm 114, 2786 Agricola Street, Halifax

Please click on the image to magnify it.

Also see:

CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth Branch

HRM Family Education & Support Group

Monday, February 13th, 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, February 13th, 2012

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

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis

with

Dr. Jason Morrison
Staff Psychiatrist, Capital District Health Authority
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the mostly widely used and best studied psychological intervention in mental health. It can be helpful for people with psychosis to help with symptoms such as ongoing delusions, chronic hallucinations, anxiety, and depression, as well as problems with relationships, self-esteem, assertiveness, etc. In this presentation Dr. Morrison will outline the basic principles of CBT and how they can be used in people with psychosis giving case examples. A focus will be on the principles and assumptions of CBT for psychosis that may allow family members to better understand and communicate with their loved one.

8:15 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, February 13th, 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 Support & Education Group

Tuesday, February 14th, 7:00 pm!

Pictou County

Support and Education Group Meeting

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

NSCC Pictou Campus, Room B166

39 Acadia Avenue

Stellarton, Nova Scotia

A new Support and Education Group for those affected by schizophrenia or another serious mental disorder will meet on the second Tuesday of every month (except July & August) at the Nova Scotia Community College in Stellarton. Family members, caregivers, friends and those with lived experience of mental illness are welcome to attend. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 14th, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Room B166 is located on the first floor (use back entrance of school).

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@ns.sympatico.ca.

Image credit

NAMI Principles of Support

National Alliance on Mental Illness (United States)

Principles of Support

• We will see the individual first, not the illness.

• We recognize that mental illnesses are medical illnesses that may have environmental triggers.

• We understand that mental illnesses are traumatic events.

• We aim for better coping skills.

• We find strength in sharing experiences.

• We reject stigma and do not tolerate discrimination.

• We won’t judge anyone’s pain as less than our own.

• We forgive ourselves and reject guilt.

• We embrace humor as healthy.

• We accept we cannot solve all problems.

• We expect a better future in a realistic way.

• We will never give up hope.

Source

Healthy Minds Series

Wednesday, February 15th, 6:30 pm!

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Kings County Chapter of the SSNS

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 Kentville Lions Club, 78 River Street, Kentville, Nova Scotia. Meetings are not held during the summer months of July and August.

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

7:00 pm

Kentville Lions Hall

78 River Street

Kentville, Nova Scotia

The Kings County Chapter of the SSNS

presents

Mental Health Issues and the Criminal Justice System

Are Things Getting Any Better?

with

Leroy M. Lenethan, QC

Taylor MacLellan Cochrane

Kentville, Nova Scotia

Open to the Public - Everyone Welcome!

Snowstorm Information

If schools are closed because of weather, this meeting will be cancelled.

Board of Directors of the Kings County Chapter

Front row: Pam Langille, Rick Ball, Margaret Burton

Middle row: Roger Cann, Margie MacNeil, Tony Nette

Back row: John Eakin, Sadie Cann, Pat MacLean

Please click on the photograph to enlarge it.

Also see:

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

Lunenburg County Chapter of the SSNS

Tuesday, February 21st, 7:00 pm!

In September 2011, the Lunenburg County Chapter moved its monthly support meetings for people living with mental illness, their family members, and friends, to Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 68 Alexandra Avenue, Bridgewater.

The fifth regular meeting in the new location will take place on Tuesday, February 21st, 2012, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Meetings are every held the third Tuesday of every month, except during the summer months of July and August. For more information please call (902) 527-1893 or (902) 527-1692 or visit ssnslcc.blogspot.com.

Cumberland County Chapter of the SSNS

Tuesday, February 21st, 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.

Yarmouth area attracts MDs

An article published in the January 3rd edition of The Chronicle Herald:

By Brian Medel, Yarmouth Bureau

YARMOUTH — Several physicians, including a number of psychiatrists, began practising in southwestern Nova Scotia during the summer and fall of 2011.

Three psychiatrists joined Southwest Health recently, bringing the number of psychiatrists to six in Nova Scotia’s westernmost health district.

All psychiatrist vacancies for the district are filled for the first time in more than 10 years, Southwest Health said in a news release.

Dr. Olufemi Banjo came in August, followed by Dr. Razi Hemani in September and Dr. Lourdes Soto-Moreno (pictured) in October.

"It certainly is good news, and hopefully we’ll hold on to them; there’s certainly the need," said John Roswell, a Digby Clare Mental Health Volunteers co-ordinator, on Sunday.

"It’s terrific if we have the full complement. Hopefully, it will mean that people get to see a psychiatrist and eliminate the lengthy wait process.

"It has been practically impossible to get to see a psychiatrist within six months, and it’s very heartening to hope that wait times may be decreased somewhat because of this."

The common wisdom is that 20 per cent of people will require psychiatric services or will experience a mental illness at some point during their lifetime, said Roswell.

The reporting of mental illness and the number of people seeking help has increased, he said.

Dr. Faten Germanus began working at a family medical practice in Barrington Passage in December. She is not yet accepting patients but an announcement will be made soon when she is ready to take on new patients, according to a news release.

Dr. Navdeep Mangat also began working in Digby General Hospital’s emergency department in December and will provide services at the Digby Well Womens Clinic starting this month.

And southwestern Nova Scotia residents with no family doctor but who have high blood pressure may take advantage of a new cardiovascular program at Yarmouth Regional Hospital, to be based in the facility’s wellness centre.

(bmedel@herald.ca)

Photo credit

Promoting Recovery in Mental Health: Mobilizing Knowledge & Strengthening Partnerships

Friday, March 23rd!

Whitby, Ontario

Please click on an image to magnify it.

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

Healthy Minds Cooperative Newsletter - January 2012

Please click on the image to magnify it.

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

Also see:

Healthy Minds Cooperative

SSNS Facebook Page

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 - Information for Family Members (PDF)

Mending Minds

Blessings from schizophrenia? Believe me, they exist

An article published in the today's edition of The Globe and Mail:

By Anne Aspler (pictured)

There was a ticking time bomb in my head that deactivated at the age of 26: the probability of schizophrenia. That’s when, for first-degree relatives, the statistical likelihood of developing the disease drops from 13 per cent to that of the general population: 1 per cent.

My mom is afflicted with schizophrenia. Despite never having had signs or symptoms, I used to live in constant fear that, one day, I might develop it. The path of my life was driven by this fear. I overworked myself to ensure a livelihood that would enable escape from the stigma of mental illness and unemployment. Becoming a doctor seemed the best I could do to champion my own mental sanity, and to further understand an illness that has never made sense to me.

For some, Christmas aggravates their heart failure – all those salty holiday indulgences. For others, the season precipitates their “brain failure” – the stress, anxiety and loneliness is amplified by the process of reflection on years past.

For part of last year’s holiday season, I found myself on the crisis-psychiatry team at one of the busiest inner-city centres in Canada: St. Michael’s Hospital in downtown Toronto. “Crazy” became the new norm, all day, every day, suicide and self-harm an acceptable and prevalent psychological exit.

My worst moment of flashback to my own experiences occurred when I had to make a phone call to the Children’s Aid Society. I’d just spent an hour developing a good rapport with a newly divorced, newly unemployed, suicidal single parent – courageous in seeking help. Calling CAS was a decision that would result in the removal of her children from her home – at Christmas.

To me, it was the ultimate betrayal of her trust. I felt as though I had betrayed my own mother. Instead of going home for the holidays last year, I externalized my distress by going to Haiti as a volunteer physician working on cholera-relief efforts.

As early as Grade 3, I had an understanding of the societal taboos around mental disease. That year, our art-project assignment was to “depict your parent’s career in a drawing.”

My mom? Unemployed. And so I developed a knack for creativity. I didn’t understand exactly what was wrong with my mother, so making up a career for her wasn’t a big stretch.

In high school, my sister and I were recruited for a University of Alberta study of children with a parent who had schizophrenia. Enrolling in this was like facing my biggest fear. I was sure the survey would uncover that, secretly, my mental stamina of steel had been blocking out symptoms that would eventually resurface with a vengeance.

Quite the opposite happened: It was a first step toward freedom. Not only did they declare my sister and I mentally “healthy”; they did something far more important to me – they normalized the disease.

I understand now that “mentally healthy versus ill” is an often unhelpful dichotomy. The psyche of the population exists on a spectrum. Scientifically, we have constructed an arbitrary standard. Past a certain point of dysfunctionality, some will be labelled, recommended for therapy and medically treated.

The rest of us can retain our status as “normal” and obtain socially acceptable therapy in the form of free counselling from family members and friends, self-therapy in the form of reflection, and perhaps moderate doses of self-medication.

Even for one individual, mental wellness fluctuates immensely over time. Practising medicine has reaffirmed for me that there is not one among us who is 100-per-cent mentally sound in all day-to-day exchanges and decision-making. Most of us could probably cite one or two mental hang-ups they could do away with. Thankfully, we escape any permanent labelling and write these off as a mood, an anxiety, impulse or worry.

I realized I'm tired of the silence around mental illness. I'm tired of contributing to the stigma by hiding the reality that these patients are our sisters and brothers, our parents, our closest friends – the ones in our lives whom we love but don’t know how to reach out to.

The reality? My mother is a great parent. With age, I’ve come to appreciate that her demeanour has given me a positive outlook on life; and it has imbued me with an inordinate capacity to tolerate chaos and disruption. They are traits that have served me well as an emergency resident physician in Toronto and working overseas in resource-poor settings in South America, Asia and Africa.

It's also taught me to value my clarity of mind and to put it to use. It gave me the opportunity to benefit firsthand from Canada’s social safety network. It has bred a doctor and a teacher (my sister) who will be strong lifelong advocates for redressing social inequity.

To my colleagues who work with those affected by mental illness: Thank you for showing them patience and understanding and treating them as equals, even when society, or sometimes their own family, doesn’t.

My mom has really done her best. She’s spent her entire life struggling to cope with the mind inside of her, as well as to cope with the reactions of the world around her.

She’s amazing, really. My sister and I will probably try to micromanage her symptoms until the end of her days. But we love her. And we owe her and her illness everything.

Anne Aspler lives in Toronto.

Photo credit

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.

Mental Health First Aid Roleplay Video

From the YouTube posting:

The Jack Project at Kids Help Phone, in partnership with the Mental Health Commission of Canada / Mental Health First Aid has produced this role play video. It outlines the need for mental health awareness and the Mental Health First Aid helping actions that can be used to support someone who is struggling.

The Honourable Michael Kirby speaks to the importance of peer support

From the YouTube posting:

Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the Honourable Michael Kirby spoke to the importance of peer support in the Mental Health Strategy for Canada at the Peer Project event in Ottawa on October 5th, 2011.

Putting the focus back on the patient

An article published in the December 1st edition of The Chronicle Herald:

IWK hopes to whittle down wait for youth mental health services

By John McPhee, Health Reporter

Add value and keep it simple.

It sounds like a business marketing pitch but actually it sums up an increasingly popular system for treating young mental health patients.

Two child psychiatrists from Britain have been working with staff at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax this week to see if the Choice and Partnership Approach will work there.

About 1,100 people are on the waiting list for child and adolescent mental health services at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax. That wait can be as long as 18 months, compared with the standard acceptable wait of about a month.

"They’ve noticed some of their systems haven’t helped users as well as they would like," Steve Kingsbury [pictured], a child and adolescent psychiatrist based in London, said in an interview Tuesday during a break in the training session at a Halifax hotel.

"How you organize services (and) the paperwork you have to do? And I don’t think they could see any way of doing it better until they heard about this."

Kingsbury and Ann York, who also works in London, have taken the "reduce bureaucracy and focus on the patient" message to 11 countries in the past six years. They and other clinicians came up with the system as a way of tackling long wait times and unacceptable outcomes, York said.

"The central premise is how to design services to make things better for the young person and their family, a better experience and more effective for them. All the things we then do organizationally and clinically are around having them at the heart of it."

The usual treatment approach would see a doctor do a thorough assessment of the patient. But recommendations are often made based solely on such assessments, without finding out what makes sense to the family or the child or what they want, the doctors said.

The question of wants, not needs, is crucial to the Choice and Partnership Approach. If the patient is asked what they want, the list is usually short and can be addressed right away by giving the patient and family goals to work on at home.

"They wouldn’t be put on a waiting list for something," York said. "They would go away with an appointment in their hands to see somebody with the right skills to help them with the goals they wanted."

This method has reduced wait times at their London clinics from a year to several weeks. Similar successes have been reported in the countries where they have trained staff and managers. Those countries include the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Belgium.

York and Kingsbury came to Nova Scotia on the recommendation of a doctor now working in Halifax who underwent the training in New Zealand.

The IWK couldn’t provide an exact cost of the three-day session, but York and Kingsbury said they don’t charge full consultant’s rates. Rather they are paid the equivalent of what they would earn as clinicians in London. It is their first visit to Canada and they combined the working sessions with their vacation.

"It’s not our day job," joked York, who said they continue to work full-time as psychiatrists and devote an average of one day a month to their consultant work.

Sharon Clarke, clinical leader for mental health services at the IWK, said she was impressed by the Choice and Partnership Approach just from reading the material on the website.

"The exciting part for me is that they’re taking a business approach, in the sense of lean thinking, and using these ideas of demand and capacity to really be able to have an accurate assessment of what the needs are in the system — to put people in the right places, to do the right job at the right time."

The IWK will begin using the system in wait list interventions in January and it will be fully implemented by April.

(jmcphee@herald.ca)

Image credit


Also see:

The Choice and Partnership Approach Website

Evaluation Of The Choice And Partnership Approach In Child And Adolescent Mental Health Services In England

Taking stock of schizophrenia

An article definitely worth reading.

Also, you might want to listen to the audio interview with Prof. Sir Robin Murray (pictured) accompanying the article .


Image credit

Your Recovery Journey

An article published in the Fall 2011 edition of SZ Magazine:

Please click on an image to magnify it.

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

Also see:

Your Recovery Journey

Schizophrenia Society of Canada

23rd Annual Conference

The Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 23rd Annual Conference, held at the Dalhousie University Club on November 4th, 2011, was attended by over 160 people.

Please click on the image to magnify it.


Please click here to download the conference program
and presenter biographies

Conference Photographs

Please click on any photograph to enlarge it.

Cecilia McRae, president of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, prepares to sell raffle tickets on the Recovery Quilt.

Hilary Thorne, the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's project coordinator, distributes parking passes outside the conference venue.

Annette Murphy (foreground, left), a member of the Conference Organizing Committee, registers a conference participant.

Chris Croke (left) accepts the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 2011 Janine Williams Memorial Bursary from Cecilia McRae.

Christine Parsons (left) receives the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's 2011 Special Bursary from Debbie Gladstone, a member of both the Conference Organizing Committee and the SSNS's Board of Directors.

Dr. Susan R. McGurk delivers the conference's plenary presentation.  To download Dr. McGurk's presentation slides (PDF), please click here.

Dr. McGurk receives a thank you gift from Cecilia McRae, president of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia.

Dr. David Gardner speaks about antipsychotic medications and their side effects during his keynote address.  To download Dr. Gardner's presentation slides (PDF), please click here.

To purchase Dr. Gardner's book, Antipsychotics and their Side Effects, please click here or here.  For information on the MED ED booklet and accompanying passport, please click here and here.

Dr. Gardner is thanked by Phil Rogers, a member of the Board of Directors of the SSNS, as well as the Board of Directors of the Schizophrenia Society of Canada.

Vince Daigle, a peer support worker with the Healthy Minds Cooperative and co-facilitator of the From Recovery to Discovery Peer Support Group, speaks about peer support.

Donna Methot, a member of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's Board of Directors and president of the HRM Chapter of the SSNS, thanks Vince Daigle.

Terry Vernon, a member of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's Board of Directors and the Conference Organizing Committee introduces speakers from the Beacon Program.

Valerie Davis presents an overview of the Beacon Program. To download the Beacon Program's presentation slides (PDF), please click here.

Pam Langille, an occupational therapist, talks about the goals and activities of the Beacon Program.

Will Moerman talks about his experience as a participant of the Beacon Program.

Valerie Davis is thanked by Terri Vernon.

Terri Vernon thanks Pam Langille.

Will Moerman receives a thank you gift from Terri Vernon.

John Murphy, a member of the Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia's Board of Directors, introduces Dr. Jason Morrison.

Dr. Jason Morrison presents on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and how it can help with relationships.

For a list of references for further reading on CBT for psychosis, please click here (PDF).  These references were provided to the SSNS by Dr. Morrison after the conference.

John Murphy presents Dr. Morrison with a framed Nova Scotia photograph by John (Randy) Ross.

Patrick Burke QC, a member of the Board of Directors of the SSNS, introduces presenters from Connections Halifax and the Mindful Mango Café.

Gail Kelly, an occupational therapist with Connections Halifax, speaks about social enterprises in general and the Mindful Mango Café in particular.

Jude Williams speaks about her life experience and her current position as kitchen supervisor with the Mindful Mango Café.

Marting Hoben talks about his job as supervisor at the Mindful Mango Café.

Patrick Burke thanks the speakers from Connections Halifax and the Mindful Mango Café.

Dr. Zenovia Ursuliak presents on a wellness program that she developed and helped deliver at the Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program.  To download Dr. Ursuliak's presentation slides (PDF), please click here.

Patrick Burke thanks Dr. Ursuliak.

A big THANK YOU to our conference sponsors!

Conference Organizing Committee

Stephen Ayer
Executive Director
Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Debby Gladstone
Secretary, Board of Directors
Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

Annette Murphy
Community Volunteer

Terri Vernon
Director, Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia

All photographs by Stephen Ayer