The Beacon Program's new website

The Beacon Program is a provincial psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) program for adults who live with serious mental illness. As a voluntary, community-based program, it empowers people to make choices, gain skills, and meet goals for achieving the greatest amount of independence in life. It is ideally suited to young adults who have the potential to live independently, return to work or school, and expand their social network. Residents learn a wide array of skills related to activities of daily living (meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, home maintenance, budgeting, etc.), medication and illness education, and social and recreational activities.

While attending the Beacon program, clients stay at the Beacon House. Located in Kentville, Nova Scota, this beautiful new residence, built in 2009, provides a “home away from home” while attending the program in the Annapolis Valley. Beacon staff feels it is important for residents of Beacon House to feel safe, secure and respected. In return, residents are asked to respect the house as their own during their stay.

In February of this year (2011), the Beacon Program launched a new website, www.beaconprogram.ca, designed by Nick Langford.

“I believe this new website offers an excellent overview of what the Beacon Program is all about and what one might expect from the program. I hope it helps to encourage all who are interested – potential participants, family, healthcare providers – from anywhere in Nova Scotia to learn more about the program and ultimately to benefit from this valuable resource.” says Valerie Davis, Manager, Community Support and Rehabilitation Mental Health Program.

The new website includes a “virtual tour” of Beacon House. “The ‘take a tour’ feature allows you to see what the Beacon House is really like, something we were not able to provide before,” says Davis.

For further information on the Beacon Program or for a referral package, please visit www.beaconprogram.ca.

Recovery is possible

An article posted October 3rd on NovaNewsNow.com:

The hidden face of mental illness

Tony Legere [pictured] doesn’t mince words when he describes his life as a young man. “Parts of it were hell,” he says.

Legere, 47, has battled schizophrenia, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder for much of his life. His illness manifested as early as age 14, when he started to pull away from his friends, began hallucinating and hearing voices.

For the next 25 years he shuffled between hospitals, psychiatric wards and the family home. To make matters worse, he began abusing drugs and alcohol. Relationships and job opportunities passed him by in his battle against addiction, lethargy, anxiety and debilitating depression.

“I knew there was something very wrong, but nothing I tried seemed to fix it,” he says. But even during his darkest moments – Legere attempted suicide several times – he held onto a kernel of hope. “I always had this burning feeling that someday things would get better.”

Mental health experts figure that as many as one in five Canadians suffer from a mental illness. With early diagnosis and proper treatment, thousands of Canadians have recovered from disorders such as schizophrenia and gone on to live successful, productive lives.

“There have been huge advances in the treatment of mental illness in the last 10 years,” says Dr. John Campbell, Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services at Annapolis Valley Health.

Unfortunately, widespread stereotypes about mental illness can be a barrier to getting help. “It is an absolute myth that all people with a mental illness are violent and dangerous,” says Pat MacLean of the Schizophrenia Society. “The tragedy is that on those very rare occasions when something terrible does happen, it’s often because that person wasn’t receiving treatment.”

Strong support system is important

That’s where a strong support system comes in. “My mother fought for me tooth and nail, even when I couldn’t fight for myself,” Legere remembers. By providing him with a place to live, encouraging him to seek treatment and supporting him through his relapses, Legere says his family played a huge role in his recovery.

So too did supports like The Beacon Program at the Kings Regional Rehabilitation Centre, as well as organizations like the Canadian Mental Health Association, whose training and job placement programs help people with mental illnesses get their lives back. Nearly a quarter of Canadians aged 35-49 who have a mental illness are unemployed. “Getting people back into society where they can contribute is essential,” says Ron Peori, chair of CMHA, Kings County branch.

For every bad news story covered in the press, there are hundreds of examples of people who are managing their mental illness and living successfully, says Valerie Davis, manager of Community Support and Rehabilitation in AVH. “The irony is the stigma of mental illness means that the success stories are the ones we don’t hear about,” she says.

Thanks to accessing proper services and treatment, Legere is now in control of his mental illness and his addictions. He is married, has a job, and lives in a beautiful four-bedroom home.

He’s also giving back. He writes about mental illness for print and online publications, and speaks to community groups and schools. He appreciates initiatives such as Mental Illness Awareness Week, Oct. 5-11, for helping to bring mental illness out of the shadows.

“My purpose in life is to get the word out there that recovery from mental illness is possible,” he says. “Look at me; I’m now living the life I used to dream about.”

- Annapolis Valley Health

Photograph courtesy of Tony Legere.